Oh Father
by Gothic984
Summary: Matt tries to deal with his first day back at the hospital, while Selena is plagued with thoughts of her father.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own any American Gothic characters, this is a work of fan fiction. This story is a continuation of my previous stories Emotion, Old Friends, Family, Difficult Decisions, Reflection, Spirit, Acceptance, Whole Again and Homecoming.

It was a cold dark November morning in Trinity SC, frost glistened in the moonlight on the large windows of the Buck mansion and the ice cold wind was trying to find it's way in through any cracks that were present in the structure.

Lucas Buck lay in his king size bed staring up at the ceiling, he always left his bedroom window open as the cold never bothered him and he enjoyed the cool freshness of the air in the mornings. Gail Emory lay asleep naked on his chest with an arm out of the covers, Lucas noticed goose pimples had begun to form over her arm and back; therefore, he pulled the covers up so her body was completely submerged under them from her chin downwards.

Gail had visited him late in the night to his surprise and she had not intended to stay overnight; however, once he had managed to seduce her by his warm living room fire it did not take much for him to convince her to stay with him, especially when her visit was due to the underhanded action she had taken to aid Matt Crower. He applauded the manipulation she had used to achieve her goal, but he was seething at the end result and if it not had been her actions that resulted in Matt Crower getting a second chance at the hospital, there would have been dire consequences for the guilty party.

Lucas was trying to think of a way to sabotage Harvard's new reinstatement which was scheduled to commence later that morning and the task would be easily completed if he released his twin; however, with Gail's dark half still lurking around she would know instantly if his twin went to work on the situation and he did not want to give her cause to pull away from him. Lucas did not like having to change his usual way of getting things done and he was finding it difficult to come up with another way to deal with this situation.

Gail stroked his bare chest and dug her nails gently into his skin. 'What time is it?' she asked.

Lucas ran his hand through her hair and caressed her cheek. 'Shush love, it's early...go back to sleep'

Gail let out a quiet yawn and pulled herself up so she could lean on his chest whilst looking at him. 'If it's so early why are you awake?'

Lucas shrugged, 'Just thinkin' on the day ahead Darlin''

Gail smiled, 'You think? What is the world coming to?' she asked sarcastically and climbed on him fully so she was straddling him.

'Well if a certain young Reporter kept her nose out of business that didn't concern her, I wouldn't have a dilemma on my hands now would I?'

Gail reached down to his manhood and bit her lip seductively when she felt he was already hard. 'Oh but where's the fun in that Sheriff?' she asked placing him inside her and beginning to ride him slowly.

Lucas inhaled deeply and sat up fully, pulling her closer to him. She had a lot of energy considering they had only settled down in his bed approximately 4 hours earlier and he applauded her stamina. The only saving grace with the Harvard situation was that Gail was more relaxed, which meant she was more willing to give in to her urges and Lucas found he did not have to chase her as much as he had previously. Right now he was more than happy to continue on with their games and gripped her buttocks tight as she began to ride him faster.

Gail let out a soft moan as she felt him move his hands slowly up from her behind to her lower back, she felt his fingertips dig into her skin and gripped his back tighter to provide support to enable her to ride him faster. His apparent acceptance of Matt's integration back into society had removed any reason for her to close herself off from him; therefore, she allowed her control to waiver when she was with him and just let go.

Lucas nipped at her shoulder and begun sucking her neck, the feeling of pleasure he experienced from being inside her was exquisite and he was beginning to crave this sensation all the time. When he sensed she was nearing her climax he thrust his hips upwards to force himself deeper inside her and felt his intense orgasm rising up from within him. He called out her name when their climax erupted together and kissed her passionately.

Gail savored the taste of his tongue in her mouth, then bit his bottom lip playfully when he broke free of the kiss and smiled. 'Has that helped your dilemma Sheriff?' she asked sarcastically.

Lucas laughed, 'It's certainly given me something to think about Miss Emory' he said, holding her hips firmly so she could not remove his manhood from inside of her.

Gail leaned down and kissed his chest, then ran her fingers through his caramel blond chest hair. 'Are you mad at me?' she asked seriously, ever since he had found out that she had convinced Doctor Charlton to reinstate Matt he seemed to be preoccupied with his thoughts.

Lucas leaned back against his wooden headboard and sighed. 'I can't be mad at you for using your initiative Darlin', I just wish you wouldn't use it to defy me'

Gail laughed and shook her head. 'If you wanted a lover who dotes over your every needs in and out of the bedroom, you should've stayed with Selena'

Lucas shook his head, moved his hands up her back then ran his fingers down it softly. 'Did I say that's what I wanted? I could snap my fingers and have Selena whenever I want, but I haven't. You have a habit of aligning yourself with all the wrong people Darlin'...Harvard, Billy-boy, hell even Selena. Are you purposely trying to irritate me?'

Gail bit her lip enticingly, 'Maybe' she said starting to slowly move up and down with his manhood still inside her. 'You don't want things to be easy Lucas...' she panted, '...you've been unchallenged in this town for far too long, are seriously trying to say you don't enjoy the game?'

Lucas grabbed her tight, rolled her over so he was on top and pulled out of her. 'Maybe you're beginnin' to understand more about me than I thought you would...I like a challenge as much as the next person, but you're certainly making it hard to stay civilized'

Gail felt a void inside her when he released himself from her. 'Were we finished?' she asked, not impressed with this display.

Lucas smiled at her annoyance, he still had control over her. 'That depends...how much do you want it?' he asked teasingly.

'You're kidding right?'

Lucas shook his head and secured her hands above her head to ensure she could not touch him. 'Not at all Darlin', with how naughty you've been recently I think it's about time you were taught some respect...I want you to beg'

Gail inhaled deeply in exasperation, she should have known he try to pull something. 'Not a chance' she said defiantly.

Lucas smiled, 'OK then' he said then moved his free hand down to her sweet spot and ran his fingers over it gently. He could sense how aroused she was at his touch and brushed his fingers over her opening softly, then pulled them away when he heard her low moan. He brought his hand back up and gently took hold of her breast, then began making circles with his tongue over her nipple.

'Lucas...' Gail panted as she stirred beneath him.

'What love?' he interrupted and brought his face close to hers.

'You're a bastard' she whispered.

Lucas laughed, 'Well that's a bit harsh...is there anything else you wanna add?' he asked playfully then licked his finger and stroked her nipple teasingly.

Gail hated this side of him, he was stubborn like her and he would not give in until she did as he had requested. 'I'll pay you back for this' she promised.

Lucas smiled knowing he had won and leaned in closer, 'I'm sorry Darlin' I didn't quite catch that' he said sarcastically.

Gail let out a long exhale. 'Please' she said quietly.

As soon as the word left her mouth Lucas's expression changed from joking to serious and he caressed her cheek gently, then opened her legs wider with his knee's and thrust his manhood into her roughly. He called out her name at the intense pleasure that surged through him as she closed around his manhood, then pounded in and out of her hard while she clawed her nails down his bare back.

Gail gripped Lucas's back as he thrust in and out of her, biting his shoulder when the pleasure became too intense. She should not condone this rough behaviour; however, they were past judgement of each other and she would be lying to herself if she denied enjoying this treatment. Part of her attraction to this questionable Adonis was his unusual tastes and being able to completely let go of all her inhibitions. Right now she succumbed to his way of taking her and wrapped her legs tightly around him to show her acceptance of the act.

When Lucas felt her legs tighten around his waist he knelt up and pulled her to him, then lifted her leg over his shoulder to allow himself to push deeper inside her. Gail called out at the mixture of pleasure and pain that came with him forcing himself deeper, which made Lucas pound into her harder. Their climax built up within them both quickly; however, Lucas did not want this act to be over so soon, so he pulled out of her then spun her onto all fours and stroked his hand tenderly down her back. 'I like it when you're stripped down like this Gail, it shows me you don't have to be high and mighty all the time'

Gail shook her head and laughed, clearly he felt the need to insert his dominance and control due to what she had pulled off with Matt. At this moment in time she did not care about being controlled, she just wanted him. 'Are we talking or are we fucking?' she panted, knowing he could not resist when she used foul language.

Lucas thrust his hard manhood deep inside her and held himself there. 'Looks like my good girl's gone bad' he panted sarcastically.

Gail was growing frustrated with this game, he was not playing fair. 'Is that what you want?...or would you just prefer me to say please?' she asked teasingly.

Lucas had planned on torturing her for a while longer, as punishment for going behind his back with Larry Charlton; however, he could not deny her when she pleaded.

Gail pushed her behind backwards slightly and continued to look forward, she could read his mind and smiled to herself. 'That's what you like isn't it? You like it when I beg..OK, please Lucas...please' she said softly then had to grip the pillow in front of her when he grabbed her hips tight and began pounding in and out of her again.

Lucas could not withstand her begging, the fact that this big city professional who held herself in such high regard accepted whichever way he chose to take her was a huge turn on and it proved she was fully his. Apart from Caleb, she was his prized accomplishment and part of him could not believe he had found his way in with her after she was so hell bent on destroying him when she first came to Trinity. The fact that he had found her weakness then exploited it to possess her made their sexual encounters all the more pleasing and he could feel his orgasm quickly rise within him when he started pounding into her.

Gail buried her head in the pillow as her climax rose within her and violently burst through, the pillow did not silence her yell and Lucas exploded inside her as he heard her call his name. When he pulled out of her he heard her painful moan, so he reached for a tissue to clean her up then pulled her onto his chest as he lay back down.

They both took a moment to catch their breath, then Gail pulled herself up so she was close to his face. 'I know every fiber of your being is telling you to do something today, but I expect you to rise above it'

Lucas caressed her cheek then smiled devilishly. 'I don't know what you mean Darlin'' he said feigning ignorance.

Gail shook her head, 'Sometimes I wish you were that stupid...I will be watching Matt today, if you do anything to him I'll find out and there will be consequences'

Lucas laughed, 'Is that a threat Gail?'

'It's whatever you want it to be Lucas...whatever it takes to keep you on your best behaviour' she said in a warning tone.

'I'll keep that in mind love' he said and pulled her to him for a passionate kiss.

* * *

Matt Crower stood in front of the mirror in his room, staring at himself suspiciously. He did not feel ready to take on his previous role as a medical professional and did not feel confident in his abilities; however, he knew Gail had done something to arrange for this opportunity and he did not want to let her down. When he decided he looked presentable enough, Matt headed downstairs to the kitchen where Loris was cooking breakfast.

'Morning Matt' Loris said smiling as she was finishing baking some pancakes, 'Are you feeling ready for your first day back at the hospital?'

Matt sat down at the table and sighed, he liked Loris and she appeared to be as convinced as Gail that he was ready to take on his old responsibilities so he did not want to let on that he felt like jumping in a car and driving out of this godforsaken town.

Loris noticed Matt was very quiet this morning and glanced at him concerned, 'Are you OK Matt?'

'Of course he is Darlin'...' Lucas said leaning against the kitchen door, '...the man escaped the nut house and has found his way into a pretty stable position within our hospital, why wouldn't he be alright?'

Loris looked from Matt to Lucas, then started dishing out pancakes onto a plate. 'To what do we owe this pleasure Sheriff?' she asked with a hint of venom in her voice.

Lucas just smiled then walked over to Matt and patted him on the shoulder. 'I'm not here for you Miss Holt, I just thought I'd offer Harvard here an escort on his first day back to start the shift off in style'

Loris regarded Lucas suspiciously, she did not know what game he was playing; however, she had grown up in this town and knew not to trust his intentions. 'Matt will be just fine waiting for his friend to pick him up, I'm sure Gail won't be long'

Matt did not like how smug Lucas appeared to be and he was not about to let the man intimidate him, Lucas was going to be around for the foreseeable future so he would have to get used to his presence and it would be worse if Matt showed him weakness. 'It's alright Loris, if the Sheriff has come out of his way to offer his services it would be rude of me not to accept' he said getting up from the table.

Loris did not want Matt going with Lucas, she had felt partly to blame for his initial breakdown due to providing him with information that could have potentially started him on that dark road and she did not want him to get caught out again. 'Matt I'll take you...' she started then began violently coughing and gasping for air.

Lucas stepped closer to Loris and patted her back gently. 'Something must've gone down the wrong way Darlin', you should be more careful...you ready Doc?' he asked and signaled for them both to leave.

Matt put a concerned hand on Loris's shoulder then headed out of the boarding house when she nodded that she was alright, he did not want to go with Lucas; however, he would not allow himself to be a victim of the mans games so walked confidently down to Lucas's navy blue Crown Victory car, which was parked at the front of the house and got in the front passenger seat.

Lucas smiled and turned on the engine. 'This must be a first for you Harvard, being able to ride in the front of a police car rather than the back'

Matt gave a closed smile to hide his gritted teeth, this was going to be a long ride and he decided the best approach was to just stay quiet.

* * *

Gail stood pacing Matt's office waiting for him to arrive, Doctor Charlton had decided to be here to welcome Matt back to work on his first day; however, it appeared he was nowhere to be found. Gail had stopped at the boarding house expecting to bring her friend to the hospital for his first shift but Loris informed her Lucas had beaten her to that privilege. Right now she was seething with her lover, especially with the things she had done earlier trying to ensure he stayed on his best behaviour.

'It appears our new starter is late' Larry said, then took a step back with the warning glance she gave him.

'This isn't down to him...'

'Regardless of that, the man has a mind of his own and he should ensure he adheres to the hospitals punctuality rules...' Larry interrupted with a sigh, 'I can't go around openly allowing him a pass just because he's your friend Gail. This does not fill me with confidence over my decision to give him another chance here'

Gail was getting sick of having to perform for so many people, but she was too stubborn to step back now so she put on her sweetest smile for Doctor Charlton. 'Oh come on Larry, we both know you could care less about what favours you show...this was the right thing to do and it's a big step for Matt, can you blame him if he's a little nervous about turning in?' she asked and placed her hand gently on the man's arm.

Gail knew full well Matt did not want to come back to work at the hospital so soon; however, she would not allow him to mope around after he had been lucky enough to be released. Lucas did not have to entertain her request to release Matt and she was working hard to keep him happy at least until her friend had a stable hold within this town. Now all she had to do was keep Doctor Charlton on side so her friend was not fired before he had even started.

Larry looked down at Gail's hand then back to her face. 'Young lady I've been around a lot longer than you and I know what you're doing...if Matt Crower is not here in the next 10 minutes I will have to reconsider his employment'

'Don't fret my good people...' Lucas said sarcastically as he entered the office, '...our new recruit has arrived. I trust you won't hold this against the Doc Larry, let's just put it down to unexpected traffic on the way in'

Gail shook her head at Lucas then went to Matt's side as he entered the office. 'Are you OK?' she asked concerned.

'Why wouldn't he be Darlin'?...' Lucas interrupted, '...he's just been accompanied by the man with the star'

Gail rolled her eyes and Matt smiled, it was obvious that his old friend was in there somewhere and she still got irritated with some of Lucas's remarks. 'I'm fine Gail, like the Sheriff said we just hit traffic'

Larry stepped forward and regarded Lucas suspiciously. 'As long as you've made it here safe then we don't have a problem, keep an eye on the time going forward Doctor and welcome back' he said patting Matt on the back as he left the office.

Gail smiled at Larry as he left, then turned towards Matt. 'On that note I think it's time we all left you to it, you need to try and get settled for the day ahead'

Matt approached Gail with a worried look on his face, 'You're just going to leave me here? What am I supposed to do?'

Lucas walked up to them both and placed his hands on Gail's hips then pulled her close to him. 'Miss Emory isn't a medical professional Harvard, she has her own job to get to...I'm sure you'll fare fine all alone in here' he said with a smirk.

Gail shook her head slowly, between Matt's dependency on her and Lucas's possessiveness she knew this was going to be a long day. 'You're not alone, Larry has arranged for Rita to man the front desk so she'll be just outside if you need any help...you'll be fine just take things slow and call me if you need anything. I'll make sure I pop in when I can' she said as she grabbed Lucas's arm then led him out of the office and closed the door behind her.

'Are you really going to leave him on his own Darlin'? That was a cry for help if I ever heard one' Lucas said looking at Matt through the office window.

'As if you care...' Gail laughed, '...I don't know what you're trying to pull here Lucas, but it's not going to work so you might as well just drop it now'

Lucas caressed her cheek and smiled devilishly, 'Oh but where's the fun in that Miss Emory' he said then turned away and walked down the hospital corridor.

* * *

Selena Coombs paced nervously in front of the church on her lunch hour, trying to muster up the courage to go inside. Ever since she attended Doctor Monroe's funeral and watched her father preside over it, she had not been able to get him out of her mind. She had been 16 years old when she was tempted away from her faith and her father by Lucas, she had not known back then what the consequences of aligning herself with the devil would be and it was only this past year that she had began to realise her priorities had changed.

Although she knew she would never truly be free of Lucas's grasp, he was no longer the first thing she thought about when she woke up and the last thing she thought about at night. This allowed her to open up her mind and the first thing that plagued her was feelings for her father, the only regret she had in life was not having a relationship with him and she had decided it was time to fix that.

Selena took a deep breath to calm her nerves then entered the church, she had always loved this place as it felt like a sanctuary. Lucas had tried throughout the years to convince her to completely renounce her faith by soiling this place with their sexual encounters; however, she had stood her ground and denied him. He was never impressed by her refusal and she would always have to pay for denying him but she made it clear this was the one place she would not defile.

It was cold and quiet in the church, it had an eerie presence and she felt as though she was being watched. When she moved deeper into the large main room of the church she noticed there was someone sat on the front pew with their head bowed. Selena turned to retreat then regained her courage and continued walking down the aisle, she only had 20 minutes left of her lunch break and did not have time for delays. When she reached the front pew she looked confused at the young girl in front of her. 'M? What are you doing here?' she asked.

Merlyn lifted her head from her prayer, she liked this church and came a few times in the week in an attempt to reconnect with her fallen family, so far these attempts had been unsuccessful. She was taken aback at being noticed then relaxed when she realised it was only Selena Coombs. 'Afternoon Miss Coombs...' she said standing up, '...I always come here for some peace and quiet, how come you're here on a school day?'

Selena regarded the young girl suspiciously, she still seemed so familiar to her but she could not put her finger on it. She knew she was not Gail's long lost cousin and she did not buy this lonesome child act; however, it was not her place to get involved and the girl seemed nice enough. 'There's no cut off time or day to embrace your faith' Selena said with a smile.

'There's no truer words' Reverend Coombs said as he entered from his office, then froze when he saw Selena. 'How dare you enter this holy place!'

Selena jumped at her fathers raised voice, she had hoped to hash this out in private; however, the unexpected presence of this young girl had thrown her off. Selena tried to regain her courage but she appeared to be falling to pieces under her fathers judgmental stare, she tried to open her mouth to speak but couldn't so she just rushed out of the church and to the safety of the outside.

Merlyn looked at the Reverend disapprovingly, 'I thought God's love spread to all people father?'

The Reverend approached Merlyn and smiled sadly, 'God's love does child...unfortunately mine doesn't'

Merlyn nodded respectfully to the man before her, it was not her place to judge so she just left the church to make sure Selena was OK. When she got outside she found Selena leaning against a tree lighting up a cigarette. 'Are you alright?' she asked.

Selena laughed and wiped her eyes to try and hide the tears that were streaming out of them. 'I'm fine, I need to get back to the school'

Merlyn did not want to leave her alone when she was so obviously upset. 'Do you mind dropping me off at home? It's really cold and Gail keeps tellin' me I'll get ill if I keep walking everywhere in this weather'

Selena smiled, she always scolded her class if any of them were late; however, at this moment in time she felt deflated and did not want to go back to the school until she pulled herself together. 'Alright, jump in. You can fill me in on how your housemates are doin' recently' Selena said as she walked to her car.

-To be continued-


	2. Chapter 2

Gail sat on the bonnet of her car in the Trinity Elementary School car park, staring at her mobile telephone. She had dropped Caleb off some hot lunch thirty minutes earlier and had expected to be heading straight to the hospital to check on Matt afterwards; however, she was lost with what to do with her time as she had not heard anything from him which indicated he was handling the role fine, either that or Lucas had killed him.

'I don't think I'm ready for the consequences of that action just yet Darlin'' Lucas said appearing beside her.

Gail sighed and stood up from her seated position. 'I should hope not...Have you done something to him?' she asked suspiciously.

Lucas smiled, placed his hands on her hips and pulled her body to his. Her hair was clipped up in a messy bun with a few loose strands that rested over her face, this provided him full access to her neck; therefore, as no one was around due to the lunch break ending 15 minutes earlier he moved a stray strand of her hair out of her eye, caressed her cheek and kissed her neck softly.

Gail moved her head obediently to the side to allow him more access to her and stroked the back of his head, they were the only ones out here so she did not mind this behaviour providing he was not acting this way to distract her. 'You haven't answered my question Sheriff' she whispered and she felt his smile on her neck.

Lucas nipped at her skin playfully then cupped her chin in his hand and looked deep into her eyes. 'I've done nothin' to that fragile little friend of yours Miss Emory, as far as I'm aware he's had a quiet morning...whether it stays that way is beyond anyone's control' he said with a devilish smile.

Gail regarded him curiously, 'What do you mean?'

'Hey cous'' Caleb said approaching the pair casually.

Gail stepped away from Lucas and turned towards her cousin confused. 'What are doing out of class?' she asked.

Caleb shrugged, 'Miss Coombs hasn't come back after lunch...I thought I'd check if her car was here'

Lucas smiled proudly, 'Well done for using your initiative son'

Gail shook her head and glanced around the car park, there was only a few cars here and Selena's was not one of them. She did not know Selena that well and she had no desire to; however, she knew the woman liked to take her job seriously and it was unusual for her not to turn in when she should. Gail looked towards Lucas as if to question Selena's whereabouts but he just shrugged. 'I'm assuming you're going to handle this being the caregiver to this town and all? We don't want the children running riot'

Lucas laughed, 'Well I did have a whole host of plans Darlin' but seen as you've put it that way I suppose I should check in on the class. My tasks can be completed there anyhow'

Gail nodded, at least this way he would be distracted and away from Matt. 'Alright, I'll drive around for a while and see if I can locate our missing school teacher' she said rustling Caleb's short hair as she past him to enter her car.

* * *

William Blake was gathering up hay in his barn, trying to make the place look presentable. His wife had hit the roof when she wandered into this mess a few days previous and had ordered him to clean the place up. William used this place as his sanctuary and did not care if there was a bit of hay around; however, he could not abide anymore of the woman's nagging, therefore, he had decided to act on her request.

William was too busy maundering to himself that he had not noticed the large black crow which had flown in and landed on one of the wooden beams above him, the crow was watching him intently as he lay his rake on the ground and began climbing the ladder to the higher level of the barn. Before he could reach the top of the ladder the crow flew down to it and cawed at him.

'What the hell?' William asked then continued climbing and waved his hand at the crow in an attempt to make it move.

The crow flew away for a moment then landed on the top level of the barn that William was about to climb on to. 'Shoo!' the man shouted; however, the crow just cawed at him tauntingly then violently flew at his head.

William waved his hand in front of his face to try and fight off the bird, but it just kept flying at him and trying to peck at his face. It's wings were large and kept flapping near his eyes, the movements William was making to fight against this strange creature made the ladder wobble and become unsteady. As the crow flew away he felt the ladder move from underneath him and he crashed to the floor, landing back first onto the rake.

William yelled out in agony, then his vision became blurry due to the blow he had taken to his head in the fall. Before he passed out, the last thing he saw was the crow landing next to his face and cawing at him triumphantly.

* * *

Savannah Jordan left the grocery store with two large bags full of food, she was planning on making a special dinner for her husband to celebrate their 7 year anniversary and although she knew her husband had no idea what the occasion would be, she would still make the effort like a good wife should. It had been a hard year with Joe being laid off and his turn to the drink, but she was hopeful that their luck was due to change soon and she had every bit of faith that her man would land on his feet sooner or later.

The crow flew high above the grocery store then landed on Savannah's car, it watched the woman curiously as she was preoccupied with her thoughts and cawed when she crossed the car park heading for her vehicle.

Savannah glanced at her car when she heard a loud caw, the sound pierced through her ears and a large jolt of pain surged through her head with each caw. Savannah dropped her groceries and clutched at her ears as if this would stifle the sound; however, it was too loud and she could not get away from it.

She spotted the large crow on her car and backed away quickly, it felt as though the animal was looking straight into her soul. Suddenly she felt excruciating pain and went flying forward, she had been so concerned with the crow that she had not spotted to car behind her until after it had hit her.

The crow cawed loudly one more time, then flew away to find some more unsuspecting victims.

* * *

Lucas sat with his feet up on the desk at the front of the class smiling, while the children in the class were painting. He did not need to go anywhere to ensure Harvard had plenty of work to keep him busy, he could arrange for that right here and this would be the perfect alibi for him.

He laughed to himself, Selena's disappearing act could not have come at a better time.

* * *

Matt sat in his office staring blankly at the computer screen, so far his appointments had been very slow and he did not hold out much hope that the next appointment would be anything interesting. He sighed and leaned back in his chair, is this what his life was destined to be? Examining some elderly persons hip problems and some worrisome mothers child. He was grateful for the second chance he had been given; however, it seemed a waste that he had ended up like this.

Rita burst through the office door and took a moment to catch her breath, 'Matt come quick...we have some emergencies here' she panted.

Matt stood up from his chair and looked at her curiously. 'Some?' he asked.

Rita laughed, 'Several Matt...now come on!' she said grabbing him by the arm and dragging him out of the office.

* * *

Gail had driven through town and to Selena's house trying to locate the missing woman to no avail. She was beginning to get agitated, Selena was not her problem and a few drinking sessions did not make them friends; however, her dark half pushed her to continue searching and she felt a little unsettled at the woman's disappearance.

Gail turned onto her street and drove towards her own house to check on M and Rocky, she shook her head in irritation when she spotted the yellow sports car parked in front and pulled her car up the driveway. When she exited her car and entered her house, she glanced around for any sign of life but found none. Suddenly she caught the faint sound of laughter and went out back to find M sat talking to Selena, with Rocky lay at their feet. 'Well, this is curious' she said as she approached the pair.

Merlyn stood up noticing the unimpressed look on her cousins face and regarded her cautiously. 'We were just talkin', Selena was at the church and...'

'Selena can talk for herself' Gail interrupted abruptly and looked at the woman who was still sat down.

Selena sighed and stood up. 'Calm down Gail, we wouldn't want you getting your panties in a twist. This young girl was just checking up on me'

Gail smiled and bit her lip to hide her frustration. 'This young girl should leave people alone...and you're late for class teacher'

Selena glanced at her watch, she was over an hour late after lunch but she did not care. 'So I am, I suppose I best get back to my class' she shrugged and started to walk past Gail.

Gail glanced at Merlyn then rolled her eyes at the disapproving look she was getting. Clearly there was a reason she was with Selena and Gail supposed it was better that Lucas was distracted with the class for the rest of the afternoon while the woman was here, rather than tormenting Matt. 'Wait, you don't have to go...M why don't you take Rocky for a walk and let me have a word with Selena'

Merlyn looked at Gail suspiciously for a moment, then decided it was best for her to stay out of adult things for the moment. 'Alright, come on boy' she called at Rocky and led him into the house to get his lead.

Gail sighed then walked past Selena and sat down on her porch chair. 'You coming?' she asked and smiled when Selena sat down on the other chair. 'So what is this? Since when do you accept the company of a teenage girl?'

Selena shrugged then lit up a cigarette, she had refrained from lighting up here around M in an attempt to set an example but did not care when Gail was around. 'She was just being nice, I didn't have the heart to tell her to leave me alone...you on the other hand I don't care about offending' she said cattily.

Gail laughed and shook her head, this was the Selena she knew. Her dark half was stirring inside of her and wanted to converse with the woman, Gail could feel Rosemary's affection for Selena and wondered whether this was why she herself had accepted the questionable woman before her. There was a time when Gail would not entertain being in the same room as the woman unless it directly involved Caleb, where as now she openly accepted her flaws as though they were friends. 'Cut the crap Selena, I have more important things to concern myself with than you today...Clearly there's something bothering you and it's bad enough to affect your day to day routine, so just spill so I can get on with my own problems'

Selena smiled, she had been sensing something different about Gail for the past few months and it intrigued her. She liked how Gail would always get straight to the point with her these days, although Selena would never admit she liked anything about this woman out loud and she was the only woman in this town that she could have a conversation with. 'I need a drink...or is it too early for the lovely Miss Emory to partake in such a thing and lower herself to my level?'

Gail shook her head in exasperation, she needed to stay sharp in case Lucas attempted to influence anything with Matt; however, Rosemary was egging her on to join in and she could not stand Selena's belief that she was too innocent to drink at this hour. 'Fine...' she said getting up from her seated position and heading to her kitchen for a bottle of wine, when she returned she set the bottle and glasses down on the porch table then sat back down. '...you do the honors'

Selena laughed and leaned forward to poor them both a glass of wine, things always got interesting when they started to drink together. 'Ok, well there's not much to spill...just daddy issues I suppose' she said passing Gail a glass.

'I've had my fair share of those' Gail said taking a large sip of her wine.

Selena followed suit and drank half the glass in one gulp. 'At least your daddy loved you, mine wants nothing to do with me'

Gail laughed and pulled up her cardigan sleeve to reveal the cigarette burn on her arm. 'Yeah, that's really love isn't it?'

Selena stared at the scar curiously, Lucas had never revealed what had occurred with Peter Emory and his family; therefore, this revelation was a shock considering the perfect family image that the Emory's portrayed. 'Ouch, I bet that hurt'

'Not as much as my pride did when I figured out the truth, but enough about me...so you're having daddy issues, so what? You're an adult, either confront him or get over it' Gail said taking another large sip of her drink.

Selena smiled, 'It's not that easy...'

'Of course it is...' Gail interrupted due to Rosemary's whispers in her brain, '...you've been controlled by men for too long Selena, it's time you stepped out of your cage once and for all'

Selena downed the rest of her wine then refilled both of their glasses, as she considered her nemesis's words. She had been controlled by her father until she was 16 then Lucas up until recently, although her ex love did not bother with her these days a part of her was still holding on to the control he had over her.

'Let it go...' Gail said reading her mind, '...you wont be able to find closure until you do'

'How is any of this helping me with my father?' Selena snapped, she did not feel ready to fully let go of Lucas just yet.

Gail closed her eyes for a moment due to the intense pressure Rosemary was causing inside her, she did not know where this was going but she allowed her dark half to take control for a moment against her better judgement. 'Let go Selena...' Rosemary said softly and touched the woman's hand tenderly, '...give yourself to me and I'll deal with your father'

Selena looked into Gail's eye's intently, she felt mesmerized by something within her and she had the sudden urge to want to please her. 'I'll try...'

Rosemary raised a hand to Selena's cheek and stroked it gently, 'Don't try friend just do...you're strong enough to expel him from you completely and then we can make you soar'

Selena nodded hypnotized, then closed her eyes. Rosemary gripped her chin tight, closed her eyes then focused on Lucas's darkness within the woman before her. She reached in with dark tendrils and ripped the infected part out of Selena then smiled when she heard the woman gasp at what had been removed from her. 'See...that wasn't so hard' she said as Selena opened her eyes.

Selena regained control of her senses, looked into Gail's eyes for a moment longer then kissed her lips. Gail pulled Rosemary back and allowed the kiss to continue for a few moments then pulled away. 'I think I need another drink' Gail said downing her second glass of wine.

* * *

Matt rushed out of the hospital room and rested his head on the wall, he was exhausted with the amount of accidental injuries he was having to treat and he felt overwhelmed with it all. He wanted to succeed and prove to everyone that he was not a lost cause; however, his brain was calling for him to flee and he could not ignore that any longer.

Rita came out of the hospital room just in time to see Matt rush down the corridor towards the exit, she called after him but he either did not hear her or ignored her. She had promised Ben that she would take care of Matt today so Gail would not have to be in the hospital all day with him; however, there were patients that needed attending to and she was torn over chasing Matt or covering for him with the patients.

'Don't worry your pretty little head over Harvard Darlin', I'll take care of him' Lucas said leaning against the wall behind Rita.

Rita inhaled sharply, she had grown up in this town and knew not to get involved in anything relating to Lucas Buck. 'I'm not worried Sheriff...' Rita lied and forced a smile, '...Matt just went on his break is all'

Lucas laughed and approached Rita. 'Is that so? It looked to me like the man was fleeing from the scene of a crime or somethin', maybe he isn't ready for all this just yet'

Rita did not like where this conversation was headed or the way Lucas was staring at her, as if he knew something she did not. 'I don't know anythin' about that Sheriff, I'm just tryin' to do my job...Like I said he's gone on a break, I'm sure he won't be long' she said slowly backing up towards the room she had previously exited.

'Why don't you go do your job nurse, this matter doesn't concern you anyhow' Lucas said smiling, then turned towards the hospital exit where Matt had gone. As he walked down the brightly lit corridor he made pleasantries with the patients who were around, there was no rush to reach Harvard as the man could not drive so he would not get far.

Lucas exited the hospital and glanced towards his car, he had gotten bored babysitting Selena's class so had sent to children home early and kept Caleb with him. It appeared his son had decided to disregard his orders to stay in the car and had gone for a wander, the boy was certainly curious like his cousin and Lucas would need to start keeping a closer eye on him. When he spotted Matt sat on the grass behind the Fulton County Hospital sign he pushed his thoughts of Caleb to one side and approached the man.

Matt sat with his legs crossed pulling at the grass on the ground, he just had to get out of the hospital to the cool fresh air outside and he felt better now that he was alone.

'I don't think anyone is ever truly alone in Trinity Doc' Lucas said taking a seat next to this nearly broken man.

Matt laughed and shook his head, 'I suppose they're not with you running this town Lucas'

'Some people would consider that a positive Harvard...you leave a man alone for too long and his demons might get the better of him'

'Well my demons are locked away Sheriff and there's no chance of them getting out' Matt said still pulling at the grass.

Lucas smiled devilishly, 'Is that so? It appears to me that you've lost your way with your patients Doctor, leaving that pretty little nurse to cover for you isn't an act that the old Harvard would have condoned...maybe some of your demons are creeping out after all'

Matt looked at Lucas with hatred in his eyes, this man was the cause of all his problems in this town and he despised him. Matt had taken responsibility for his actions and accepted part of the blame; however, it was this mans constant pushing which was going to be the end of him. Matt took a deep breath and tried to regain his composure, Lucas wanted a reaction and he was trying so hard not to give him one. 'You already won Lucas, you got Gail and Caleb appears to be warming to you so why are you bothering with me?' Matt asked standing up.

Lucas smiled and stood up with Matt. 'You know you're right Doc, Gail is mine completely and the boy is coming along just fine...' he said with pride then his voice changed, '...but you should not be here and my other half should certainly not be helping you. Our arrangement with you in Juniper was workin' just fine, who knew she would find a way to get you out on a weekly basis; although I certainly had fun collectin' on that one'

Listening to Lucas confirm what Matt already suspected about Gail making a deal for his previous day leave made his blood boil and he squared up to the evil man before him. 'Does that make you feel big Sheriff? Praying on a young woman's weakness for her friend and forcing her to bend to your will, that seems somewhat beneath a man of your standing...A woman is not completely yours if you force her affections'

Lucas laughed in Matt's face, knowing this would rile him up even more. 'You think that's how this started? Come on Harvard use your brain...I can have any woman I want in this town and I chose her. If I wanted to force her I could've done that long ago when I showed her the truth about her parents, but where's the fun in that? I waited and waited until she couldn't resist her urges any longer, then I took her...It's a beautiful thing when one so mighty falls Doc, believe me when I say that the victory tastes so much sweeter when they choose to throw out there moral's and come down in the dirt with me. Gail fell hard and it was her choice, now she's mine'

Matt could not control his anger and hatred any longer and punched Lucas in the jaw just in time for Caleb and Billy Peel to witness the assault. Billy ran up to the men and pushed Matt away from Lucas, he shook his head when he saw Lucas's triumphant smile and watched as he pulled handcuffs out of his pocket. 'You're too late Billy-boy, it looks like Doc Crower is having another episode and I can't condone the assault of a police officer in my town' he said and began to walk towards Matt.

Caleb stared at the men in shock, he did not understand what was happening or why Matt would hit Lucas; however, he knew Gail was going to be furious with what was happening. 'Wait!...' Caleb called then ran between Lucas and Matt, '...You can't do this Lucas, Gail...'

'Son, this does not involve you...' Lucas interrupted and placed the handcuffs around Matt's wrist, '...that cousin of yours understands full well that it's a felony to assault an officer of the law in South Carolina, my hands are tied here and I need to do my job. I'm sure you can respect that son'

'Oh come on Lucas, you don't need to do this and you know it. Cut the guy some slack...it's his first day back and clearly something has made him unhinged' Billy said trying to diffuse the situation, knowing like Caleb that Gail's anger would be unbearable if Matt got locked up.

Lucas laughed, 'So you're sayin' that I should allow an unhinged Doctor around the unsuspecting residents of my town? Not a chance Billy-boy..If I were you I'd go check on the lovely nurse Rita to ensure she's handling all the injured people that have come in today, we don't want the poor woman having a breakdown while trying to cover for our unhinged Doc here'

Billy shook his head in exasperation with the situation, he did not want to leave Matt; however, he was now concerned about Rita.

'You go Doc, I'll stay with Matt' Caleb said sensing Billy was torn over what to do.

Billy nodded, 'Fine...I'll call your cousin and have her meet you at the station, I'm sure she'll be in a great mood with this' he said then rushed into the hospital.

Lucas smiled and glanced at Caleb, the boy did not look impressed; however, he could sense he understood the actions he was taking. Gail would not be happy that it had been so easy for him to provoke a reaction from her prized pony.

-To be continued-


	3. Chapter 3

Gail approached the large church that had previously held Doctor Monroe's funeral and glanced over her shoulder at the yellow sports car which occupied Selena Coombs. Both women had continued to drink until Gail received a text message from Billy informing her that Matt had been taken into custody by Lucas, to say she was angry was an understatement. Her fury was clearly affecting her judgement, which resulted in her getting into Selena's car and allowing the drunken woman to drive her to the Sheriff's Station.

Gail would never usually entertain being in a car with someone who had been drinking; however, she felt a protective shield from the presence within her and somehow knew that they would be guided safely to where they needed to be. Unfortunately, Selena and Rosemary had other plans which involved visiting Selena's father before heading to the Sheriff's Station.

She ran her fingers through her soft brown hair which now lay loose over her shoulders and allowed herself to be guided by Rosemary, she felt her dark half become excited with every step that took her closer to the church and she began to wonder what she was doing. Rosemary took hold of her before she entered the church and Gail allowed her dark half to take control, she wanted no part in whatever this was but was curious as to how this would play out.

Rosemary took full control and allowed Gail to view what she was doing, now that her light half had accepted her occupancy it was only fair to allow her to watch. She entered the church and walked slowly up the aisle towards the kneeling Reverend who appeared to be deep in prayer. She glanced at the holy statues and paintings around the church with appreciation, she had been religious once; however, her faith had turned towards something else after what had happened to her in a previous life.

Reverend Coombs opened his eyes at the sense of not being alone and stood up. 'Gail Emory isn' it?' he asked when he turned around and saw the beautiful woman before him.

Rosemary smiled sweetly, not giving away her true identity and acted in Gail's usual manner. 'It is Reverend, I'm sorry if I disturbed you'

Reverend Coombs smiled, 'Not at all child...no one usually visits the church at this time of day so I was just praying to pass the time. Can I help you with something?'

Rosemary walked past the Reverend and looked up at the large statue of Jesus Christ, although the urge to spill blood was overwhelming she would not do so in a house of worship. She had waited for years to be accepted and let out by Gail, she could push down her blood lust a little longer to ensure her vessel remained pure and concenting. 'I have a dilemma and was looking for a quiet place to ponder over some options, I thought this place was perfect to help me gain some clarity'

Reverend Coombs watched as Gail stared at the statue and admired the woman for noticing the monument which had so often helped him work through his demons. 'How about we talk through your problem together and see if we can come up with a solution, I don't mind lending some of my time to help a member of my flock'

Rosemary rolled her eyes at the insinuation that she was just another poor soul looking for some guidance, but smiled warmly at the Reverend when she turned to face him. 'That's very kind of you, I'll try not to take up much of your time' she said walking towards the front pew and sitting next to the Reverend. 'Where to begin?...' she laughed, '...Well I have a friend who is trying to reach out to someone she lost a long time ago, this friend has made a lot of mistakes in the past and is looking to make things right; however, she believes the person she is trying to reach is gone forever'

Reverend Coombs considered the predicament, 'No one is lost forever Gail...this friend of yours just needs to face her demons'

Rosemary nodded and smiled. 'It's funny you mention demons, see my friend has tried to approach her father but he just keeps discarding her. If she had any sense she would realise that it was his demons and the guilt he feels over what happened to his wife that is clouding his judgement when it comes to her'

Reverend Coombs felt a knot in his stomach and began to realise who they were talking about. As far as he knew no one was aware of what happened to his wife let alone their daughter, so he was confused. 'I don't know what you mean' he lied.

Rosemary laughed, stood up and began to pace the front of the church. 'Love is a strange thing and with it comes obsession. We've all been there, hell I'm there right now against my better judgement and it's hard to keep a hold of the people around you when you're in that type of relationship. No one would blame you for loving your daughter that much...being obsessed with her every move is a tad creepy but I suppose it was harmless enough, except to your wife. What a poor woman, how could she possibly compete for your affection when you were blinded by that beautiful innocent girl...I get it, when your wife killed herself due to the jealousy you didn't blame Selena, not until Lucas Buck came on the scene. He is persistent, I'll give him that and there was no way you could compete with a man of that stature...but why blame Selena, especially when you didn't tell her why her mother committed suicide?'

Reverend Coombs sat frozen for a moment, he had never told anyone what really happened to his wife and why she took the actions she did. He had loved his daughter a little too much and was obsessed with her, which pushed his wife to a dark place and she had decided to end her suffering. Selena did not know this so how could the woman before him?

'It's text book really, it wasn't that hard to figure it out...' she said reading his mind, '...The important thing is what to do about your daughter. Now, I have somewhere else to be so I'll leave you to consider your options here, you might want to seek a little heavenly advice on this one though as you look a tad dazed'

Reverend Coombs just stared at the woman before him then watched her begin to walk back the way she had come in, he was thoroughly confused and was plagued with guilty thoughts of his wife.

Rosemary smiled, toying with men was too easy but she loved every minute of it. Gail had received a flash back before she entered the church of Selena and her father before Lucas came in the picture, it was obvious Reverend Coombs had loved his daughter a little too much and his wife had been aware of the inappropriate affection he used to have. No wonder Selena turned out how she did, she never stood a chance.

In the interest of cooperation with her bearer she voluntarily gave control back to Gail as she walked down the aisle towards the door, Gail was sickened by the visions she had previously experienced showing the unhealthy way the Reverend regarded his daughter many years ago and closed her eyes concentrating. She had been plagued by dreams of her dead family for most of her life, she decided it was time that the Reverend confronted his demons.

When she opened her eye's Selena's dead mother appeared in front of her and Gail smiled devilishly sensing Rosemary's acceptance of her judgement, they would leave the Reverend alone with his wife for a while to ponder over the proper way to be with family.

* * *

Lucas leaned against the front counter of the Sheriff's Station watching Caleb sift through reports with Ben, the boy seemed curious about what it entailed being an officer of the law and Lucas was beginning to wonder if his son would follow in his footsteps. Before he could finish his train of thought the bell above the door rang indicating there was a visitor, Lucas smiled instantly sensing that it was Gail and turned towards her. 'Afternoon Miss Emory...oh look, you've found our missing school teacher' he said glancing towards Selena.

Caleb turned towards his cousin when he heard Miss Coombs was with her, he had been worried about his teacher and curious as to why she did not return to school. When Caleb went to stand by Lucas's side he felt a tug on his arm, Ben shook his head in warning and pulled Caleb close to him.

Gail smiled towards Ben and winked at her cousin to show she was fine with his presence here, she did not approve of him being out of school early; however, she had been drinking with his teacher so she could not judge anyone right now. She turned her focus to Lucas and tried to push down her anger at the smug look he was giving her, that emotion would only play to his ego. 'I believe you made an arrest earlier Sheriff...I'd appreciate it if you took me to the prisoner'

Lucas shook his head and feigned seriousness. 'No can do Miss Emory, the man assaulted an officer of the law and he could be dangerous'

Gail inhaled deeply in exasperation, she could tell he was enjoying this and she had to be careful how she reacted in front of her cousin who was watching them intently. 'Not that I condone any violence against an esteemed officer, but was there anything that provoked this supposed action?'

Lucas shrugged, 'I might have had a few words with the good Doctor Darlin''

Gail sighed, she expected this type of behaviour from Lucas; however, she had hoped Matt would use his brain and not allow himself to get ensnared in Lucas's games. 'Of course you did...can I have a word with you in private Sheriff?' she asked sweetly.

Lucas smiled, he was not finished with his game just yet. 'I'm a little busy at the moment looking after the boy over there, it appears that the other adults in his life have been too busy having fun to care what he's getting up to' he said sensing Gail had been drinking with Selena.

Gail returned his smile and stood tall, she had been trying so hard to hide the fact that she had been drinking; however, she should have known that he had eyes everywhere.

'I'm sure me and Ben can keep an eye on Caleb while you two go have a chat' Selena said and disregarded the warning look Lucas gave her, after all Gail was helping her with her father and Caleb should have been her responsibility until school finished.

'It's settled then...come on Sheriff, we have a few things to discuss' Gail said nodding towards Ben to acknowledge his discomfort at being involved with anything like this, then walked past Lucas's office towards the cells at the back of the building.

Lucas followed Gail closely without saying a word, then grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her towards him when she tried to let herself into the cells. 'I said no Gail' he said sternly.

Gail glanced down at her arm then up into his eyes, she was still slightly drunk and had to take a deep intake of breath to steady herself. 'That's not a word I choose to acknowledge Lucas...now, what did you do?'

Lucas smiled, he loved the sound of his name on her lips, although he much preferred it when she was yelling it with him inside her. He pushed down this thought and focused on the matter at hand. 'I didn't do anything Darlin', I was just honest with the man and he hit me...he's lucky Caleb was around otherwise I would've retaliated'

Gail considered his words for a moment and nodded, 'I appreciate you showing restraint...' she said playing up to his ego, '...What were you honest about?'

Lucas pulled her closer so her body was touching his and moved his hands to her hips. 'You...Harvard appears to believe that I'm forcing you here, I was just honest about the way things stand with us'

Gail caressed his chest then stared deep into his eyes, she was not stupid enough to believe that was all that happened but she had to handle her lover carefully. 'The way things stand with us is no-ones business but ours, why do you care what he thinks?'

Lucas licked his lips and raised his hand to cup her chin, 'My reputation is important Darlin'...and I don't need to force you to do anything'

Gail laughed, 'Maybe not me but it's not beneath you with other woman is it?' she asked momentarily losing control of herself, Judith was still a sore subject with her and she could never fully let go of what he had done.

Lucas gripped her chin tight and pulled her face to his. 'That's none of your concern Gail, it was a long time ago and you don't know the circumstances surrounding anything of that time...'

'Well maybe I should' she interrupted.

Lucas regarded her carefully, he could sense her darkness just below her surface and his twin was itching to be released to meet with it. This was not the time or place for their other halves to hash it out and he needed to get control of this situation. 'One day I'll let you ask your questions, I promise...but right now we need to focus on the issue at hand'

Gail felt Rosemary ready to break free and sensed something dark just below Lucas's surface, she was intrigued; however, he was right and they were beginning to digress from their initial subject so she lowered her hand slowly down to his crotch and cupped it suggestively whilst staring into his eyes, deciding to start working on him. 'I don't know Sheriff, I think my hand is focused on the right issue' she said, smiling at how hard he already was.

Lucas's mood changed and his intense desire for her took over, he knew what she was doing but he did not care. He had already proven to Harvard and Gail that he was still in control and could disrupt the mans day whenever he chose, so Harvard's release was inevitable. 'Well when you put it like that Miss Emory, who am I to get in the way of what you believe is more important'

Gail bit her lip in arousal and allowed him to push her gently towards the wall, while still playing with is crotch. Although she knew he would release Matt eventually, her actions would depend on whether he chose to speed up the process or leave the man stewing in jail; therefore, she would allow Lucas to do whatever he liked and find a way to get him back later.

Lucas moved his hands under her top and gently squeezed her breasts, they fit perfectly in his hand just like his manhood did inside her and he wanted her right now. 'What's say we take this into my office?' he whispered seductively into her ear and nipped at it playfully.

Gail nodded obediently and allowed Lucas to take her hand to lead her to his office, then felt a sharp pain surge through her head as she heard Matt yell. Gail froze on the spot and turned towards the door to the jail, concerned for her friend.

Lucas glanced at the door impatiently then pulled Gail's arm slightly. 'Come on Darlin', he'll be fine. I've got some business I want to attend to with you'

Gail smiled and ran her free hand up his chest, then broke free of his grasp when she heard Matt shout again. 'Lucas open the door' she said.

'I will when we're done...now come on' he said impatiently.

Gail was frustrated and pent up, she wanted Lucas; however, Rosemary had done something to bring her attention back to Matt and she had a feeling she would not be left alone until she saw to her friend. 'Now Lucas!' she demanded and stood by the door with her arms crossed.

Lucas shook his head and let out an irritated laugh, he would not usually condone demands from anyone but he sensed she was just as frustrated as he was so would make an exception. 'Fine, here's the keys...I'll be in my office' he said and left her alone at the door.

Gail shook her head in exasperation and entered the cells, there was just Matt there and he stood holding the cell bars with his head rested on them. When he spotted Gail he gave a tired smile and turned his back to her, 'I suppose I should explain what happened'

Gail laughed, 'You assaulted the Sheriff and he locked you up...What else is there to explain?' she asked.

Matt shrugged, that was basically what had happened and anything else he added would just sound like an excuse. 'Are you mad at me?'

'What would be the point in that? Besides, I know you were provoked and you're not solely to blame for what happened...' she said handing Matt the keys to the cell door for him to let himself out, '...I'll just have to smooth things over with Larry so he doesn't hold this against you'

Matt closed the cell door after he stepped out of it and began to walk out of the room with his friend, she did not appear to be mad and seemed to have accepted his actions.

'I've not accepted anything and I would like to expect better from you...' she said reading his mind, '...but you've obviously got a long way to go to be like you used to be'

Matt laughed, 'It'll never be the same Gail...I hope you know that'

Gail shook her head as they walked down the corridor to the entrance where Ben and Caleb were. 'I'm not stupid Matt now go wait with Caleb, I have something I need to do before we go'

Matt nodded and reluctantly went to Caleb, leaving her outside Lucas's office. Gail sighed and entered the office cautiously, knowing Lucas would not be impressed that she had chosen seeing to Matt before him.

Lucas sat staring at a match burning down slowly in his fingers, he had always loved fire since he had been a child and enjoyed the burning sensation when the flame touched his skin. 'I'm assuming Harvard is now a free man?' he asked not taking his eyes away from the flame.

Fire had always fascinated Gail, it was such a harsh unforgiving thing and she was intrigued with the destruction it could so easily cause. She sat down on Lucas's desk and carefully took the match from his fingers. 'He was always going to be a free man Lucas, this display of control was not required' she sighed and allowed the flame to singe her skin slightly before blowing it out.

'A display of control is always required Gail...especially with the likes of Harvard' he said getting up and approaching her.

'Oh so this display wasn't for me?' she asked knowingly.

Lucas smiled, he did not need to show the good Doctor how much control he had so he supposed this display was in fact for his love. 'Well you have been stepping above your station recently Darlin', someone had to remind you how things are really done in this town'

Gail shook her head and glanced up at him from her seated position, she should be annoyed; however, she had been pushing the boundaries to see how far he would let her go. She was lucky that Matt was in the position he was, Lucas could have easily carted him back to Juniper House and she had no doubt that he would not hesitate in this action just to prove a point. 'OK, so I suppose I have been a bad girl recently...is that such a crime Sheriff?' she asked running her hand slowly up his leg.

Lucas inhaled deeply and smiled at the titillating look in her eye, he could see her playful side had come out and who was he to spoil her fun? 'It depends how bad you've been Miss Emory, I don't think it's time for the handcuffs just yet but I do believe a good spanking might be in order'

Gail licked and bit her lips in anticipation then moved her hands to the zip at the front of his pants. 'The spanking is going to have to wait Sheriff, I've got something else in mind' she said teasingly as she carefully pulled his manhood free and placed it in her mouth.

Lucas could not stifle his aroused moan as he watched her suck him, he stroked her head affectionately and gently grabbed her loose hair so it was out of her face. He allowed her to play this way for a few moments, then pulled himself out of her mouth. 'You don't get off that easy Miss Emory' he panted as he pulled her to her feet.

'I don't know what you mean Sheriff' she said feigning innocence and allowed herself to be pushed towards the wall.

Lucas turned her around, lifted up her skirt and spanked her hard. 'I wonder what you've been up to today which made your path cross with my ex? I can tell you've been drinkin', care to share what the occasion was Darlin'?' he whispered in her ear as he ripped off her thong.

Gail smiled, she had wondered how long it would take for him to bring up the subject of Selena. 'Now that would telling wouldn't it? I don't think I care to share what business I have with your ex Sheriff and I'd rather not talk about her in our current position' she said bending over slightly to allow him access to her.

Lucas shook his head, he did not like not knowing what was going on so he pushed himself inside her roughly. 'Suit yourself Darlin'...but you've brought this on yourself' he said then started pounding in and out of her hard.

Gail had to bite her lips hard to stifle a pained moan, he appeared to be getting rougher with her recently and it was beginning to get too hard for her to handle. Rosemary forced herself to the surface to take away some of the pain he was inflicting on her and allow Gail to just feel the pleasure, Rosemary yearned for this sort of treatment; however, it was not the man currently in control that she wanted, she craved for his dark twin.

Lucas sensed a change in Gail and began to ease up on the force he was using, she did not tell him to stop so he continued pounding in and out of her until he felt his climax building. He sensed Gail was coming close to her release and forced his hand around her mouth to stifle her yell as they came together, then pulled himself out of her. 'Are you OK Gail?' he asked concerned when he still sensed something different about her.

Gail took a deep breath and pushed herself back into him, to show she was fine. Rosemary had taken some of her pain and it was only fair to give in to what her dark half desired, after all she was a part of her so the desires must also be her own. Gail leaned her head to the side to allow Lucas access to her neck and moaned softly as he kissed her neck tenderly, when he did not make any further move she turned towards him and slapped his cheek. 'I thought I was being punished Sheriff?'

Lucas regarded Gail suspiciously, he sensed her dark half was close to the surface and felt his twin scratching to be released. 'You were Darlin', was I not hard enough?' he asked curious as to where this behaviour was coming from.

Gail smiled and caressed the cheek she had just slapped, 'Not by a long shot...stop holding back'

Lucas laughed, 'Darlin' if I stopped holding back I could likely tear you apart'

Gail bit her lip seductively and Lucas shook his head, it appeared his love wanted something more. He could sense her arousal and was confused as to what she wanted.

'I want it hard Lucas...' she said reading his mind, '...and I want you to let go'

Lucas pushed her hard against the wall and secured her wrists above her head, then moved his free hand under her top and squeezed her breast hard. 'Is this what you want Miss Emory?' he panted, aroused by her behaviour.

Gail shook her head slowly and stared longingly at his lips, then back up to his eyes. 'I want what I saw when you had your hands wrapped around Calvin's neck Sheriff' she said and gently but his lower lip teasingly.

Lucas stared at her bemused, she wanted his twin he could sense it and the thought of her openly requesting this excited him. He released her breast then moved his free hand slowly up to her neck and began to squeeze gently, he could see the excitement in her eyes and squeezed a little harder. 'I need you to be sure before we go down this road Gail...' he whispered, '...it's one thing me losing control once or twice and a complete other if you consent to it all the time'

Gail closed her eyes at the intense desire that was building within her, she should not enjoy this treatment and it went against everything she stood for as an independent woman; however, the dark part of her which was taken up by Rosemary yearned for this and she was intrigued as to how far he would go when he fully let go. 'I understand the risks Lucas...'

'Do you Gail?' he interrupted.

'Well, well, I wondered what could be taking you so long...it's hard to resist his charm when he gets like this isn't it Miss Emory?' Selena said leaning against the office door. She had began to get bored when Matt Crower did not appear to be in the best of moods to entertain her playful side and had decided to come find Gail, she was surprised at the compromising position she found the lovely Miss Emory in.

Lucas held his grip on Gail's throat and wrists for a moment longer then let go of her completely, stroked her cheek tenderly and gave her a playful wink as he secured his manhood in his pants. 'Whats the matter Selena...Billy-boy not givin' you the release you need so you have to spy on us?' he asked, regarding his ex smugly as he approached her.

Selena forced a smile and disregarded Gail's presence. 'You'll find he's giving me exactly what I require these days Sheriff, in fact his moves are beginning to match yours in the bedroom'

Lucas stood dominantly in front of Selena and smiled devilishly. 'Oh how thrilling...so it's taken this long for him to start figuring out what you like? You poor thing, I can't imagine how tedious dull pounding must be for you, at least he's beginning to show a little promise now...'

'That's enough' Gail said calmly, interrupting Lucas. She had been happy that he had taken the focus off her while she regained her composure; however, she would not listen to her friend being berated, especially when he was not here to defend himself.

Lucas turned towards Gail and silently commended her at how quickly she had regained control over her urges. 'You're right, lets not slander Billy-boy's good name when he isn't present'

Gail shook her head, 'As if you care if he's present or not...come on Selena, it's time we left our Sheriff to get back to his work' she said walking past Lucas and pulling Selena out of the office.

Lucas smiled as he watched to two woman leave, he had expected some form of consequence for the actions he had taken with Harvard; however, it appeared his love had finally started to fully accept his nature.

-To be continued-


	4. Chapter 4

Caleb sat on the front porch of the Buck mansion staring out into the secluded garden, he found himself visiting this place more often recently in an attempt to gain some sanctuary from his now family filled life. This time last year Caleb would never have thought he would want some time alone, he was so desperate for any encounter with his sister or his cousin; however, now that he had them both he felt like he needed time to himself and felt guilty about feeling this way.

'Guilt is for babies son...' Lucas said walking up the porch steps, '... I can imagine it's nice having the companionship of the woman in your life and I know you understand how lucky you are to have your family back, but with that type of company comes a lack of space...am I right?'

Caleb sighed, 'I love having Merly back and it's great with us all livin' together and all, but sometimes I feel like I don't have no time to think and I got used to my own space. Is it bad of me to feel like this?'

Lucas smiled and sat down next to Caleb. 'There's no shame in what you're feeling son. Look at me for instance...I enjoy spending time with a select few, present company included, but I need time to myself to gather my thoughts. Your cousin is the same, if you watch her closely you'll see her begin to unravel when her time is crowded by too many people...some crave constant companionship, unfortunately our family has never been that way'

Caleb nodded, he had noticed Gail get agitated when there were alot of people around her and it was good to know that he was not the only one that needed some space. 'I don't wanna offend no-one' he said thoughtfully.

Lucas laughed, 'I've never had that concern to be honest...you need to think of yourself first, then everything else will fall into place. What's the point in making everybody else happy at the expense of your sanity? You need to look around son, everyone has an agenda and when you discover your own you'll be able to start pinpointing everyone elses...I can guide you, just say the words and I'll happily help you find your way'

Caleb considered Lucas's words, maybe he was too concerned with everybody else's feelings and expectations. He had tried to be the good boy that people wanted him to be, he had made an effort in school like Gail had told him to and had been helping Merly try to find a purpose; however, all of his time was spent doing what everyone else wanted him to do and he was beginning to feel lost. 'Maybe I should just be honest and tell people how I feel' he said staring at his hands, he had not expected to be talking this out with anyone let alone his real father.

Lucas shook his head and patted Caleb on the shoulder. 'You're not quite old enough to understand but honesty can be a curse. Can you imagine what your sister would feel like if you told her to sort her own problems? Or how your cousin would react to you telling her you couldn't care less about your schooling? Woman can be fragile son, you have to handle them in a certain way...I'm not gonna tell you what to do, you get enough of that from everyone else but I'm here to help in whatever way I can and I won't ever judge you son'

Caleb sighed, he could feel a bond beginning to form with Lucas that he did not have with anybody else. The man was his father regardless of what people thought and he was beginning to appreciate his councelling. 'Can I stay here tonight?' he asked timidly, expecting the answer to be no.

Lucas laughed, 'You can stay here whenever you want son...I'll tell you what, why don't I drop you off at your cousins house to gather a few of your things to keep here and that way we'll be prepared in case you need to stay over short notice in the future?'

Caleb smiled excitedly, then looked down at his hands when the realisation of the situation hit him. 'Gail and Merly won't be happy with this, the last time I stayed they both ended up mad at me afterwards'

Lucas stood up and held out his hand to help Caleb up. 'Don't you worry about the woman in your life son, leave them both to me'

* * *

Gail sat with Billy and Ben in Trinity's main steak house restaurant, she had left M at the boarding house with Matt and had been assured by the girl that Caleb would be joining them for dinner with Miss Holt; therefore, she was able to go out for dinner with her friends. Although Gail would much rather spend the evening alone in her house, both Billy and Ben had helped make Matt's first day manageable so she would make the effort to join them.

Billy poured them all a shot of Jagermeister and held his glass up for a toast. 'To our absent friend not spending the night in a cell' he said and disregarded Gails warning look.

Ben laughed, this was the first proper evening out that he had attended with his two closest drinking buddies in a while and he was going to take advantage of it. 'Speaking of the absent friend, how come he's not joinin' us?' Ben asked Gail.

Gail downed her shot and picked up the menu. 'Matt doesn't drink and it's not fair for him to deal with us reprobates when we've had few...I suppose I should start being sensible now that he's back, so he's not stuck with the children at the boarding house all the time'

'Never!' Billy yelled playfully and poured them all another shot, '...Besides, you need this to help you deal with your other half. I can't imagine you entertaining the man and his questionable morals sober'

'Oh please, as if Selena is any better...that woman is damaged and you know she's just as screwed up as Lucas if not more' Gail said defensively.

Ben downed his second shot and tried to signal for the waitress. 'You two stop, I'll have no talk about my boss or his ex tonight...I like my limbs where they are thank you'

Gail laughed, she really did enjoy the company of these men and although they talked freely about the morals of their partners, there was no judgement. 'I'll drink to that...' she smiled and turned her focus back towards the food menu, '...so, what are we having?'

'Beer and plenty of it...' Billy said looking at the drinks menu, '...I don't know about you two, but I've had a long hard day with my unethical staff trying to drill in the correct way to behave around the crazies and I'm looking forward to drinking myself into a stuper before having to deal with them all again on Monday'

'Is it really that bad?' Ben asked.

'They're all crazy, staff and all! I mean I knew it was bad from what Gail told me about Matt, but I could never have imagined the state that place was truly in'

'Oh come on, at least it's giving you a challenge...You can't tell me you would've been happy in the mundane position at the hospital, you've been itching for something interesting to focus your attention on and you know it' Gail said knowingly. Billy was like her and needed to be challenged otherwise he would go stir crazy, this position was a blessing in disguise for him while he chose to stay in this mundane little town.

Billy sighed, she was right and part of him was enjoying the uncertainty of his day to day tasks; however, he still had not forgiven her for throwing him in the deep end here and he would not let that go so easily. 'Well I've had to make the most of a crappy situation, seen as you well and truly screwed me out of my position at the hospital to make way for our absent friend to return'

Gail glanced at Billy over the menu and smiled sweetly. 'I don't know what you mean friend...I'm just a small town Reporter who talks to a few people a long the way, I can't help what the hierarchy of this town take from my ramblings'

'Of course not...' Billy said in an unimpressed tone, '...but next time keep my name out of your ramblings'

Gail looked towards Ben who was clearly trying to keep out of this one, then turned her attention back towards Billy. She felt her dark half stirring within her; however, this was her friend and she would not allow Rosemary to interfere, especially with what she tried to do with Billy last time. 'I'm growing tired of this subject, you're in a better position than you previously were so just get over it...If I were you I'd be focussing more on your other half, or are you too preoccupied with your career path to be concerned with her?' she said, glancing irritably at the waitress who appeared to be ignoring Ben.

'What do you mean?' Billy asked curiously. He had not been paying much attention to Selena since he had started his new position, other than in the bedroom, so he was not aware of anything that may cause his friend to mention her.

'Figure it out' Gail sighed and stood up from her seated position, she was beginning to get annoyed at the blatant ignorance of the waitress when Ben was trying to get her attention. She was used to being in these places with Lucas and there was never a problem being served, hell people fell all over themselves trying to ensure he had everything he needed without him having to even call for them. Gail had forgotten what it was like in the real world trying to get noticed in these types of establishments and she had no patience to wait around all night to be served.

'What are you doin'?' Ben asked shocked that she had stood up.

'Getting our order taken, or do you want to be late home and deal with the third degree from Rita? I'm just going to stretch my legs and see what comes of it, don't look so worried' she said as she stepped away from the table.

Ben put his head in his hands, he really hoped she was not going to make a scene. He was still not fully used to woman having such a big part in his life as he had been alone for so long and he found it hard to know whether Gail was being serious or just joking.

Billy laughed and shook his head, 'She's impatient tonight isn't she?'

Gail started to walk towards the bar to ask for the manager when she spotted Larry sat at a table with his wife, she put her head down in an attempt to remain unrecognised; however, he spotted her instantly and left the table to come meet her. 'We'll have to stop running into each like this...' she said forcing a smile to hide her irritation, '...people might start to talk'

Larry laughed, 'I could be paired up with worse people. I was hoping to see you at some point today, I heard something happened with Matt and the Sheriff...I hope everything is alright'

Gail smiled sweetly at Larry, she was becoming tired of having to reassure him about Matt. 'If it wasn't I wouldn't be enjoying a relaxing night here with my friends right?'

'I suppose...care to elaborate on what happened?' Larry asked, sensing she was avoiding the matter.

'Nope...' Gail said shaking her head, '...What I care to do is sort out some service so I can eat'

Larry laughed, put his arm around Gail and led her to the section of the restaurant which he was sitting in. 'The problem you've got Gail is you're not fully aware of the benefits of our little group, you're sat out there with the common people when you should be over here with your fellow members'

Gail glanced around the section and spotted a few men that she had seen at the Mayor's party a few months previous, this group she was apart of was well and truly overprivelaged and she had no desire to be seen like they were. 'I quite like it with the common people, it's easier to establish their agenda'

Larry regarded Gail carefully, she was not naive and he would not underestimate her intelligence like some people would. 'Although that can be true, you've accepted your stature with us and you really should take advantage of it if you want our people to take you seriously'

Gail sighed and allowed Larry to guide her to a waiter, she stood silent while Larry explained that she was to be sitted here and they both watched the man go fetch her friends.

'There you go, that wasn't so hard was it?' Larry asked.

Gail shook her head in exasperation, 'I hope this little move wasn't so you could spy on me Larry...I like my privacy when I'm with my friends'

Larry thought he spotted a glint of malice in her eyes, then disregarded the feeling when the glint disappeared. 'There's no judgement here Gail...you can do what you want and behave however you feel, no one is watching'

Gail did not trust the motives of this elite group; however, it was a privilege that she had been brought in to and she needed to try to fit if she wanted to keep an eye on the high ranking people of this town. 'OK Larry, you've sold me. My friends are coming so you enjoy your evening and I'll try to make time to visit you over the weekend'

Larry stroked Gails arm and smiled then went back to his wife, leaving Gail alone with her friends.

* * *

Lucas sat in his car outside the steak house with Caleb in the front passenger seat. He had sensed Gail's presence a mile away and could not resist intruding on her evening plans, especially when they did not involve him. 'You hungry son?'

Caleb looked towards the building Lucas was watching and smiled when he saw the steak house, 'I'm starving...but I thought we were going to find Gail?'

Lucas shook his head, the boy had not quite figured out his knack for locating people yet. 'Get out the car son' he said impatiently and headed across the road with Caleb.

It was Friday night so the steak house was heavily populated with noisy residents looking to wind down after a busy week, Lucas did not have to wait more than 5 seconds before a waiter spotted him and lead him to his normal quiet table by the fire at the back. Lucas liked his privacy so there was a particular route that he was always taken through to ensure he was not bothered by any other residents and he was taken to the far side of the restaurant just past where his fellow group members were allowed to dine.

'Is that Gail?' Caleb whispered as he surveyed the room, she was sat a few tables away from them and had not noticed them enter due to the route they had taken to the table.

Lucas smiled, sat down and took the menu offered by the waiter, 'It most certainly is son...now we can either alert her to our presence or see how long it takes her to notice, what do you think?'

Caleb glanced at his cousin curiously, she had always told him she prided herself on her ability to spot the most minute detail and part of him wanted to test this theory. 'Let's wait' he whispered playfully.

Lucas laughed, 'Good choice...let's order shall we?'

* * *

Gail was laughing so hard that her stomach hurt, she had been impressed by how quick the service was in this section of the restaurant and was now just relaxing with her friends. Billy was telling them about the time he had been caught by a previous boss with his pants down, due to a drunken dare and the thought of the look on his face at that moment in time amused her to no end.

Gail had finished her drink so reached for Billy's Rum and Coke to tide her over until she could order another, when a strange sensation surged through her brain. Her present company had not noticed her sudden change in demeanor and she tried to shake it off; however, the strange feeling remained. She surveyed the room curiously, wondering what could possibly be causing this disruption, then shook her head slowly when she spotted Caleb and Lucas sat at the far end of the room. 'You have got to be kidding me' she said irritably.

Ben followed her line of sight and spotted Lucas, 'Aw hell...when did they show up?'

Billy shrugged, 'Who cares...let's just order some more drinks and ignore them'

'Have you forgotten which town we're in?...' Gail asked sarcastically, '...Order me something to drink and I'll go see what our Sheriff wants'

Lucas nodded appreciatively at the waiter for bringing their food out quickly, he allowed Caleb to order for him and they both ended up with steak and fries. His sons food choice was a little mundane for his taste; however, he went with it and Caleb seemed to be happy being in control, even if it was just control of the food choice.

Lucas was just about to cut into his steak when he sensed Gail walking towards them, he could not hide his smile and put down the cutlery. 'Miss Emory, to what do we owe the pleasure?' he asked feigning ignorance.

Caleb had just placed a large chunk of steak in his mouth and chose to chew it extra slow so he could keep out of the conversation.

Gail looked from Caleb to Lucas and shook her head, 'I feel I should be asking you that question...my cousin had a dinner date at the boarding house, so I'm a little confused as to why he's here' Gail said trying to hide her irritation.

Lucas leaned over and gave Caleb a reassuring pat on the shoulder, then stood up and approached Gail. 'Now see this is what happens when you put your trust in teenagers, they lie to cover for each other. The boy has been with me all evening and had no idea he was supposed to be anywhere else, as far as he was aware his guardian was at home cooking for him...it appears you found other more important things to do with you time' he said glancing at Billy and Ben.

Gail rolled her eyes at comment then laughed. 'Firstly, I have no doubt M covering for Caleb was an innocent act, it's a shame he chose to align himself with you and get caught out. Secondly, I'm not his mother or a housewife and resent that insinuation Sheriff...if my cousin is hungry he should make sure he comes home at a reasonable time to prevent other plans being made without him present'

Caleb stared at his plate and just kept cutting his steak, he really did not want to get in the middle of this discussion and hoped Lucas would take the spotlight off him sometime soon.

Lucas laughed at Gail's remarks, 'Calm down Darlin' it was just an observation...can I have a minute of your time alone?' he asked, as if reading Caleb's mind.

Gail stroked the top of Caleb's head affectionately, to show she was not mad at him and gave him a wink. 'I suppose so...are you going to be alright for a few minutes?' she asked her cousin.

Caleb wolfed down another large chunk of steak and nodded; therefore, Gail allowed Lucas to lead her to a private function room not far from his table, but not before she signaled for Billy to keep an eye on her cousin. When Lucas closed the door to the room she became very aware of how alone they were and how drunk she was.

'Don't worry Miss Emory, I'd never take advantage and do anything you didn't secretly want me to do' he said stroking her cheek and placing a soft kiss on her lips.

Gail inhaled deeply and attempted to push down her desire for him, she yearned for him desperately; however, this was not the time or the place.

Lucas pushed her gently towards the table in the middle of the room and stroked her bare leg just below where her short dress stopped. 'There's never a bad time for those feelings Darlin', we have all the privacy in the world here' he said leaning his face in close to hers and pushing his fingers under her dress.

Gail peered longingly into his eyes, then felt Rosemary stir beneath her skin and remembered their previous encounter. 'I don't think we have enough privacy here for what I want, or have you forgotten my previous request'

Something changed in Lucas's eye's when he thought back to their encounter in his office. If she wanted him to let go then so be it, he had warned her and could not be held responsible for the consequences. Lucas smiled devilishly then allowed his twin to come out and play. He grabbed her hips tight, spun her around and pushed her roughly down onto the table.

Gail managed to put her hands on the table to stop her face being slammed into it with the speed of his movement, she had noticed something different flash in his eyes before she was roughly pushed down and started to become concerned. Rosemary forced herself to the forefront of her subconscious, sensing what was coming next. Gail felt how hard Lucas was when he rested himself against her, when he roughly ripped off her panties she chose to allow Rosemary full control.

Lucas sensed the change in Gail and smiled, this was clearly her dark half and his twin craved it. Taking a back seat, he relinquished all control on his twin when he unzipped his pants and let go fully. His twin ran his hands over her butt cheeks gently then parted them slowly and waited, he could sense her excitement at the anticipation of the act and the intense pleasure that surged through him when he finally thrust his manhood into her forbidden place was almost unbearable.

Rosemary pushed Gail's body back to allow him to enter her deeper, the pleasure mixed with pain that this act caused was erotic and she had been craving it since the first time he had taken her this way. Although Rosemary did not openly like Lucas, this darkness was the part of him that she craved and she knew Gail would come to accept this fully in time; however, until then she would shield her as much as she could from the pain and absorb it herself.

Lucas felt the intense surge of pleasure with each hard thrust that his twin made, her tightness only made the sensation more exquisite and her willingness to allow him to fill this part of her, when he knew she did not approve, just made him lust for her more. This was the one part of her that only he had been allowed to explore and it confirmed that she was his. She may defy his wishes or even go behind his back on behalf of others; however, her constant disregard of his rules was part of what drew him to her in the first place and he could not change her true nature, just like she could not change his.

Lucas felt his climax building and pushed back down, knowing she could not fully appreciate the pleasure of this act until she was used to it; therefore, he took some control of his twin, stroked his hand around her hips then reached for the sweet spot between her legs. He sensed her darkness waiver for a moment due to this move and gently pushed his fingers inside of her. 'Hang in there Darlin'...' he whispered in her ear reassuringly, '...this'll all be over soon'

Rosemary was not impressed with the interruption, or that Gail had pulled her back to engage with her lover. 'Don't worry about me Sheriff, I'm tougher than I look' she whispered trying not to sound hurt.

Lucas admired her spirit, even in this compromising position she still portrayed an air of elegance and strength. He sensed her darkness had been pushed back and she was fully with him; therefore, he forced his twin back down and took full control of this moment.

The pain Gail felt with each thrust was uncomfortable to say the least; however, she had consented to this act and she needed to start fully accepting her lover for what he was. The soft playful strokes of his fingers provided a welcome distraction for her and she understood he was trying to make this bearable for her. She felt her orgasm beginning to form within her and could not distinguish whether this was due to his fingers or his manhood.

Lucas stroked her back affectionately as he sensed their climax rising within them, then quickened his thrusts and his fingers to bring them to their end. He forced his free hand around Gail's mouth to stifle her yell as he erupted inside her and bit down on her shoulder to stop his. He surveyed the room for something to clean her off with and carefully pulled out of her when he located some napkins.

Gail stood leaning against the table with her hands propping her up, trying to catch her breath. When Lucas had cleaned her off and pulled her dress back down to cover her up, he put his arms around her stomach and pulled her gently to him. She allowed him to kiss and nip at her neck playfully for a moment before pulling free of his grasp, now that their urges had been satisfied they needed to get back to the initial reason they were in here. 'What are you doing with Caleb?' she asked pushing away from him and trying to fix her hair with her hands.

Lucas inhaled deeply to slow his heart rate, these surprise encounters were beginning to take their toll on him. 'The boy wants to stay with me tonight, I told him it wasn't a problem but thought it smart to discuss it with you' he said zipping up his pants.

Gail laughed, 'The smart move would've been to check with me first before telling him it was OK. I told you I would not allow him to stay with you in that place alone Lucas...if you haven't noticed I have plans tonight which you should have considered, not to mention the other resident of our household. Do you expect us to abandon her at the boarding house tonight without prior warning?'

Lucas shrugged and approached Gail slowly. 'I couldn't care less about your plans or what you do with that girl Gail...my concern is my son and if he wants to stay with me then that's whats gonna happen'

Gail shook her head in annoyance, she had not yet recovered from the soreness of the act they had just performed and she did not want to get into an argument here. 'As far as popular belief goes, my cousin has no father. I'm his legal guardian and any concern for him is mine alone, until any other announcement deems otherwise...I'm not being unreasonable and I have taken his wishes into consideration, which is why I'm not saying he can't stay; however, if I'm honest I don't trust your supervision alone Lucas and I will not back down on this. If you want him to stay you need to figure something suitable out with M and I'll come by later when I finish up here'

Lucas regarded her angrily, he hated it when she pulled rank on him; however, he was partly to blame for not stopping her legal guardianship when he had the chance. 'Oh I can figure something out with that pretty young girl of yours' he said wickedly with a smile as Gail began to leave the room.

Gail opened the door then turned around to face him. 'If anything happens to that girl your boy will be leaving this town with me and you'll never see him again' she warned.

Lucas walked towards her and stood dominantly over her. 'I don't take well to threats Miss Emory'

Gail stared up at Lucas defiantly, not caring if anyone could see them. 'I don't threaten Sheriff, I take action...now go do what you've got to do while I get back to my friends' she said and walked out of the room.

-To be continued-


	5. Chapter 5

Caleb rolled over in the large bed, yawned and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Lucas had allowed him to stay up later than Gail usually would due to them arriving at his house later than expected, now he felt groggy and did not want to get out of bed.

When they had finished up at the restaurant last night Lucas had questioned him about his sisters friends and if there was anyone that could take her for the night, after Caleb confirmed Merlyn had no one else Lucas reluctantly drove to the boarding house and picked her up. Merlyn tried protesting and insisted on being taken to Rocky, this only appeared to irritate Lucas more and he ordered her to get the dog into his car.

The whole situation was strange to Caleb, the last he heard Lucas liked his privacy and only a select few were allowed in his home. Last night the Buck mansion was populated by him, his sister, Rocky and Gail's eerie dog. Caleb was not complaining, he still got to spend time alone with Lucas while Merly busied herself in the garden as she did not want to be there; however, he wondered why Lucas had entertained all of them being there.

Gail's dog Gideon let out a quiet yawn and stretched, then jumped partially up on the bed. Caleb did not know what to make of this animal but it appeared to be following Gail's previous orders of staying with him while he was here. He risked giving the dog a cautious stroke and smiled when it licked his hand, he supposed he may have misjudged the animal previously and allowed it to jump fully up on the bed with him.

A quiet knock came at his door, then it opened slowly. Merlyn peered her head through the small gab, then let herself in with Rocky when she saw her brother was awake. She had not slept at all in this sinister place and had Rocky by her side the whole night, she was not impressed at being dragged here against her will; however, she knew better than to pick a fight with Lucas in his own domain, when she no longer had her ghostly powers. 'Mornin' sleepy head...' she whispered, '...It's so quiet here, I don't think anyone else is up'

Caleb sat up fully and shushed both dogs when they started growling at each other. 'Mornin' Merly, close the door!...' he whispered, '... We don't wanna wake Lucas up, I don't think he was in the best of moods last night'

Merlyn closed the door quietly, stroked Rocky reassuringly to stop his growling and sat at the bottom of the bed. 'I bet his mood perked up when Gail arrived' she said disapprovingly.

Caleb got out of bed and stretched fully, then opened the curtains. 'Gail's here? I didn't know whether she was comin''

Merlyn laughed, 'You think she'd let you stay here alone with Lucas? Don't be silly Caleb...She got here after you'd gone to bed, she cut her night out with her friends short I believe'

Caleb approached his sister and knelt down to stroke Rocky. 'Is she mad at me?'

Merlyn shrugged and regarded the other dog in the room suspiciously. 'Who can say, if she is she'll get over it...she's stuck with us now' she said with a reassuring smile.

Caleb let out a relieved breath, now that Gail had custody of him that was true and she could not just leave him. Caleb gave Rocky one last stroke then stood up and glanced at the clock, it was 10:00am on Saturday morning which was later than they all usually slept in and the low growl of his stomach confirmed that he was hungry. 'Should we wake them up do think?'

Merlyn shook her head, Lucas was in a foul mood with her last night and she would not put herself in a position to be blamed for waking him prematurely. 'Do you really wanna see what he's like after being woken up before he's ready?...I know what we can do, let's go see what food he has in and we might surprise them with breakfast when they get up...they can't sleep for much longer surely'

Caleb smiled, even though he missed his alone time and the whole situation was confusing, he really did love having his sister back. 'Good idea Merly, we'll have to be extra quiet though' he said and started to creep out of the bedroom.

* * *

Gail lay comfortably on her back in the large kingsize bed with Lucas laying heavily on her chest, pondering over the happenings of the night before. She had arrived here after 11:00pm to M sitting on the porch with Rocky, after a long discussion about how Lucas was forcing her to stay the night against her will she convinced the girl to come inside with her and got her situated with Rocky in a spare bedroom not far from Caleb.

Lucas had not made his presence known as he usually did when she arrived, so it was apparent that he annoyed with her. Part of her wanted to take this opportunity to survey some of his property while she was undisturbed; however, she was not so naive to believe he was not watching her every move and chose to leave her exploration for another time.

Gail found Lucas in his study reading one of his many books on the Occult, he did not acknowledge her presence which meant she had definitely offended him with her earlier comments in the restaurant. She would not apologise for speaking the truth and it was time that he realised Caleb was her responsibility in the eyes of the public, but she was drunk and tired; therefore, did not want to argue especially with the children in the house.

She knew her lover well enough by now to know how to distract him from his thoughts. She had closed the door to the study, approached the large grandfather chair he was sitting in and knelt down in front of him. She smiled mischievously when he still did not acknowledge her then ran her hands slowly up his legs, unzipped his pants and carefully removed his manhood.

Lucas moved his book to one side so he could look at her and exhaled deeply when she took him in her mouth without hesitation. He was furious with her earlier comments about taking his son, not to mention that he had to bring Merlyn Ann to his home as he could find nowhere else that his love would approve of to discard of her; however, this act made his anger melt away and all he could focus on was the pleasure of being in her mouth.

Gail pulled him out of her mouth, licked him slowly from the bottom of his manhood up to his tip then gently nipped at his tip playfully whilst looking into his eyes. When Lucas tangled his free hand into her hair and pushed her closer to his manhood, she smiled triumphantly then took him in her mouth again and began to suck. She continued this way for a few minutes and sped up her movements when she heard the familiar moans, which indicated his end was close. She allowed him to erupt in her mouth then swallowed emission, knelt up and kissed his lips passionately.

This simple act was all it took for her to be forgiven and Lucas led her upstairs to his bedroom to continue with their fun. They were careful to be quiet with the children being in the house and the noise restriction just added to their games. It was 2:00pm before they had finally lay down to rest and Gail was aching all over now that she had woken up.

Lucas stirred beneath her then lifted up his head, sensing he was the only one in his house that was not fully awake. He did not like the intrusive feeling of so many people and animals being inside his home; however, the position he had awoken in served as a welcome distraction to the intrusions and he moved below the sheets instinctively to service his love. He felt her try to pull away from him but he was already between her legs and held her tightly in place. She had performed this act on him unexpectedly the night before and he would return the favour.

Gail gripped the bed sheets tightly in her hands as he pushed his tongue inside of her, she had tried to fight it as she was exhausted; however, there was no stopping him when he had committed to this, so she would just have to lay back and enjoy the act. She bit her lip to stifle her moans and felt her orgasm building within her, his tongue was relentless and the patterns he was making within her did not take long to cause her to unravel completely.

Lucas pulled himself up after tasting all of her residue and placed a soft kiss on her lips, he could sense she was still recovering from the previous days sexual activities so he chose not to instigate anything further at this time. He stroked her cheek and lips gently with his thumb, then kissed the tip of her nose. 'I do believe the dependents are awake...' he said in a light tone, '...Do you need longer?'

Gail inhaled deeply then sighed, 'Yes but that's not really an option is it?'

Lucas laughed, rolled out of the bed and held his hand out to help her up. 'I'd allow you to stay here all day Darlin', in fact I'd happily lay here with you but I'm guessing those two are up to something in my kitchen and it wouldn't be appropriate for us to let them burn the house down with us in it'

Gail rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and allowed him to pull her up. 'You know they do this all the time...what in god's name makes them think they can cook? At least you have the good sense to just let other people do it' she laughed and searched the wardrobe for her spare clothes.

Lucas smiled, 'I've never attempted to cook a day in my life Darlin' and you can rest assured that I never will in the future'

'I appreciate your honesty Sheriff...' she said sarcastically, '...I'll go see what those two are up to while you get a shower and start getting ready for work. I do believe you're late'

* * *

Caleb and Merlyn were fanning the smoke coming from the grill, they had left the toast in for far too long while trying to fry some eggs and there was smoke everywhere. 'I told you we should wait before putting the bread in Merly!' Caleb exclaimed.

'Well if you watched it like I thought you should've it would've been fine Caleb!' Merlyn said accusingly.

'Are you two about done?' Gail asked standing with her arms folded at the kitchen door.

Both Caleb and Merlyn looked from each other then to Gail thinking they were in trouble, when they saw a small smile form on her lips they all began laughing childishly.

'Jesus...' Gail laughed and pushed them both out of the way gently, '...look at the mess you two have made!'

Caleb watched as Gail took the toast out of the grill and threw it in the bin, then took the frying pan containing the burnt egg off the hob. 'We were only tryin' to...'

'I know what you were trying to do Caleb...' Gail interrupted, '...but I would've thought that the first 3 times you both failed to successfully cook me breakfast would have served as a warning not to attempt it again'

'Is he gonna be mad?' Merlyn asked.

Gail stared at the eggs stuck to the frying pan in disgust and threw it in the sink. 'Well he certainly isn't going to be impressed'

Caleb looked at Merlyn worried and went to hold her hand, 'What can we do?'

Gail found a bobble in her jeans pocket and tied her hair up in a messy ponytail. 'You can get the dog's outta here before he spots them in his kitchen, then try and buy me some time to fix this before he comes in here' she said and turned the hot water tap on to soak the pan.

* * *

Lucas came down the stairs to find Caleb pacing and regarded the boy suspiciously when he ran up to him. 'Everythin' alright son?'

Caleb tried to act casual even though he got the feeling Lucas could see right through his act. 'Yes sir, we just can't go through there yet...the girls are doin' somethin' girly' he said completely drawing a blank on what excuse to use.

Lucas glanced over Caleb's shoulder then back at the boy. 'This is my house son, I can go wherever I please whenever I want...now you wanna get outta my way? It appears I'm runnin' late'

Caleb did not know what to do but the look on Lucas's face warned not to challenge him, so he allowed him past and followed close behind.

When Lucas entered the living room he got a faint smell of burning, he glanced at Caleb questioningly who just shrugged back at him then he decided to head towards the kitchen. There was a strong smell of burning in the kitchen; however, when he looked around everything appeared to be how it should be and Gail was setting down a plate with poached eggs, bacon and tomatoes. 'Looks like I'm just in time' he said suspiciously and approached Gail.

Gail smiled innocently, 'It appears you are...Caleb your's is in the dining room with M' she said and watched as he hurried out of the kitchen.

With the boy gone Lucas placed his hands on her hips and pulled her to him. 'Should I be worried about the obvious smell of burnin' in here Miss Emory?'

'Burning? I don't smell anything Sheriff, so you must be mistaken' she said sarcastically then placed a soft kiss on his lips. 'Now go eat your food, it's about time you got to work'

Lucas shook his head knowingly but did as instructed and left Gail to sort the dishes.

* * *

Matt sat in his office tapping a pen against the desk, he had not seen Gail yet today and was worried that she was mad at him or that Lucas had done something to her. He was so preoccupied with his concern for his friend that he did not hear Doctor Monroe enter his office.

'Matt?' Larry repeated concerned.

Matt jumped when he realised he was not alone, then stood up to greet his boss. 'Sorry Doctor Monroe, I didn't get much sleep last night...you don't normally work on a Saturday do you?'

Larry laughed, 'No Matt I don't but I thought I'd make an exception to check in on you since I heard you had a run in with the Sheriff yesterday. Care to share what that was about?'

Before Matt could answer Gail walked into the office and winked at him, 'What that was about Larry was an unfortunate misunderstanding on our Sheriff's part. I can assure you that it won't happen again' she said sweetly.

Larry looked at Gail and smiled. 'Miss Emory, what a pleasant surprise...I was hoping to see you today. How did the rest of your evening go? I take it you were happy with the restaurants service when you were seated in your rightful place?'

Gail forced a smile, she was growing tired of Larry and has been just hoping for a quick visit to check on her friend. 'It went fine and without incident thank you, I hope you had a nice evening with your wife'

Larry nodded, 'I did...she was very curious about the time I took with you and wanted to meet you'

Gail laughed, 'I'll happily meet your wife when the rest of our group does'

'That won't be necessary...we'll just have to have our little talks in private in the future' he said smiling then nodded towards them both as he left.

Gail shook her head and closed the office door, 'That man is really beginning to irritate me'

Matt watched his boss walk down the corridor through the large window in his office. 'Why are you entertaining him then Gail?'

Gail paced the room surveying what Matt had done with the office, it appeared he had not changed anything since Billy had vacated it. 'The man was a means to an end, but it doesn't feel right to discard him just yet. Besides, while he's on side nothing will come of you being arrested for assaulting the Sheriff...Matt you need to be more careful'

Matt perched himself on the edge of his desk and sighed. 'You don't think I know that...Gail the man is a snake and he hates me. You getting me back in this position is all well and good, but it makes me a target for his cruelty and although he doesn't scare me you need to be prepared for the odd occasion where he riles me up enough to react'

Gail regarded her friend carefully, she appreciated his honesty and the fact that he had finally dropped the 'I'm fine' act. She knew this would be hard for him, hell it would be hard for anyone in his position but she believed it was something he had to overcome so he could truly begin to move on from his time in Juniper. 'I don't mind the odd overreaction Matt, you're only human. I know this is hard...if you truly believe you can't do this then you need to tell me know. There's no shame in it, we'll just figure something else out for you'

Matt smiled then shook his head. 'If I'm honest being thrown in the deep end here is daunting, but I've never run from a challenge. What is causing me to get distracted and lose control is you Gail'

Gail looked at her friend confused, this was not the way she expected this meeting to go. 'Me? What about me?' she asked concerned.

Matt sighed then stood up and started pacing the office. 'You and him Gail, I can't handle it. You want me to be honest well here it is...His constant remarks and digs at how he got you is infuriating, I thought I knew you better than that and thought you of all people could withstand his charm. I'm not trying to tell you what to do, or who to do it with but it's your whole relationship that's pushing my buttons'

Gail laughed, she could not believe after months of him knowing of her relationship that he chose now to raise his concerns fully. 'Matt this is none of your business...'

'It is when he's throwing it in my face every chance he get's Gail' Matt interrupted with a slight hint of venom in his voice.

Gail took a deep intake of breath to push down her anger at being interrupted so abruptly, her losing her temper would only hinder her friends progress at this time and she did not want that. 'I get that he can be difficult Matt...believe me I know how he can be, but you're a Harvard graduate and have dealt with god knows what type of people in the past so I expect you to be able to handle a little trash talk...My reasons for being with him should not concern you, be assured that it was my choice and he did not force me in any way. I know you worry about me, but you have to let this go as nothing is going to change in the foreseeable future' she said approaching him and stroking his arm gently.

Matt shook his head in disbelief, he did not want to accept their relationship and the thought of them together made him feel sick.

'You have to accept it Matt...' she said reading his mind, '...you can't change this and as long as you're holding on to this anger over it, you're giving him something to hold over you'

Matt laughed, 'Surely as his partner you can just stop him from torturing me over it'

Gail smiled and shook her head. 'You think I have any real power over him? No one can stop Lucas Buck from doing anything, you should know that...I can't control him anymore than you can control me Matt, we all just need to get on with it'

Matt sighed and squeezed his friends arm reassuringly. 'I don't have to like it but I accept your choice and I'll be fine with it...I know you'll see sense eventually'

'Yeah that's what I'm for, my common sense to return...' she said laughing, '...Now that that's all sorted, I need you to do me a favor and check a medical file for me'

* * *

Selena sat on her kitchen table wearing a short cream silk robe, she had drank herself into a stupor last night when Billy had left her alone to go play with his friends and she could not motivate herself to get dressed. She had not been able to stop thinking about her father since Gail had conversed with him at his church the previous day, Gail had warned her to stay away and allow him to come to her; however she was becoming impatient and wanted to see him.

Billy stumbled out of the bedroom and poured himself a glass of water, oblivious to anything but the splitting headache that he had awoken with. When he dug out some pain killers and took them with a large swig of his drink, he turned his attention towards his girlfriend and instantly became concerned. Selena prided herself on her appearance; however, here she sat in a dressing gown with last nights mascara smudged around her eyes, she had clearly been crying as there were small black mascara streaks down her cheek.

Billy thought back to last night and vaguely remembered Gail mentioning something about Selena, but he could not place what was said so approached her cautiously. 'Morning babe...everything alright?' he asked with an undertone of concern.

Selena laughed and wiped the dampness of tears from under her eyes. 'You'll find it's afternoon honey and you didn't care about leaving me alone last night to go out with the lovely Miss Emory so why would you care if I'm alright now?' she asked cattily.

Billy sighed, as usual he had drank too much with his friends and he was too hung over to entertain an argument. 'I was out with my friends Selena, Ben was there longer than Gail...if you don't wanna talk about it that's fine, but don't say I didn't try later on' he said turning around and heading towards the bedroom.

Selena jumped off the table in anger at him turning away from her, she was sick of men using her then walking away when she needed some comfort. She picked up her coffee mug and launched it at the bedroom door, then smiled when Billy jumped as the glass shattered and turned towards her confused. 'Aww honey, I missed...next time I'll have to aim a little more to the right'

Billy looked at Selena as though she was crazy, the woman was the love of his life; however, she was absolutely nuts and he did not know how to remain calm when she got like this. 'Jesus Selena, what the hell is wrong with you?!...There's only so much I can take of your crazy tantrums, god know's how you got away with being like this with Lucas Buck' he said without thinking, then instantly regretted the comment when he saw the vicious look that appeared in her eyes.

Selena laughed hysterically, everything with everybody always came down to Lucas Buck and she was sick of it. It was becoming clear to her that men were all the same, some may go about their desires in a different way; however, ultimately they all wanted the same thing.

Selena had given herself to more men than she could remember and they always brought up Lucas Buck before they left, they were happy enough to take her but when it came to actually being there for her they always found an excuse to discard her. Billy had remained longer than most, but here she was clearly showing a cry for help and the first thing he does is make a dig about her and Lucas. 'Billy honey...get outta my house' she said calmly after regaining her composure.

Billy shook his head in disbelief, 'You launch a projectile at me for no reason and I'm the one in the wrong here?'

Selena marched past him to the bedroom, picked up his shirt and jeans then threw them at him. 'Just go...now' she said calmly once again.

Billy was only wearing a pair of boxer shorts and needed time to change before leaving. 'Selena calm down, I'll go when I'm ready' he said taking a step towards her.

Selena did not know whether the situation with her father had affected her emotions but she completely snapped at his refusal to act on her request. 'Get out!' she screamed at him then began picking up things from around the bedroom and throwing them at him.

Billy dodged most of the things thrown at him but hurried out the house when an ashtray hit him hard on the shoulder. 'For god's sake Selena you're nuts!' he yelled as she slammed the front door on him, then quickly got dressed before anyone saw him.

* * *

Merlyn sat in the archive section of the public Library with Poppy, sifting through a large book of property records. She had used her friend as an excuse to visit this place as Poppy had studying to do; however, her real motive was to do with something she had found in Lucas's house.

Before she had met up with Caleb this morning, Merlyn had taken the opportunity to wander around the front of the Buck Mansion while everybody was asleep. She knew certain powers were at play in the property but took the chance of exploring while Rocky was with her, in an attempt to prove useful to her cousin. Gail had been trying to find more information about Lucas and someone with the initials of RB, Merlyn had previously searched the records in the archive section for her cousin to no avail and had chosen to see if she could find anything in Lucas's house while he was distracted.

Merlyn had managed to enter a few rooms but had found nothing, eventually she stumbled across a large room which was filled with books and papers. When she entered the small Library she instantly felt a eerie presence watching her and Rocky began to growl loudly, the more steps she took inside the room the stronger the presence got so she left the room in a hurry; however, not before spotting a small black and white picture on a short bookshelf of a boy and woman.

Merlyn had made a mental note of the picture and noticed that it was taken in front of a Bookstore with a closing down sign, she had no idea how to find out who the people in the picture were; however, she surmised her cousin could if she managed to locate the year of the photo and approximate age of the boy. Merlyn was sure that the boy had to be Lucas and this could be the key her cousin was waiting for to uncover the information she required, so Merlyn would search through all the records she needed until she found the answers she required.

-To be continued-


	6. Chapter 6

Matt sat staring at the file on his desk, it had been 4 days since Gail had asked for Martha Coombs' medical records and he was torn as to whether to allow her access to them. Matt took the Hippocratic oath he had sworn to seriously and although he had given in to his friends request regarding her mothers records, he had done so reluctantly as they were family but this was different.

Matt had not opened the file to review it's contents and could not fathom why his friend would want these records so bad. He appreciated all Gail had done for him and he felt like he had a debt to pay to her; however, he was not sure he could live with himself knowing he gave away confidential information to a Reporter.

'Really Harvard most of that debt is owed to me, after all I am the one that allowed you to be a free man without fulfilling your full sentence in the nut house' Lucas said casually leaning against the office door with his arms crossed.

Matt forced a smile and stood up from his desk. 'Morning Sheriff, I wasn't aware you were my next appointment' he said sarcastically.

Lucas smiled, the man appeared more confident than he had been in their previous encounters and he wondered whether the old Doc Crower had finally returned. 'Me ill? Not a chance Doc, but I hear you've had an influx of sick people and accidents the past few days...it appears my townspeople want to keep you on your toes'

Matt regarded Lucas suspiciously, ever since his first day back he had been bombarded with patients suffering from unusual ailments or freak accidents. After his initial breakdown and trip to the Sheriff's Station he had forced himself to calm down, then dealt with each situation one step at a time to avoid a repeat of his episode.

'I'm impressed Doc, that's a good way of dealing with the pressure's of your job. One step at a time...is that something you perfected at your AA meetings?' Lucas asked, reading his mind.

Matt shook his head and walked towards his office window, when he glanced out he could see Rita watching him with concern; however, he gave her a small wave to indicate he was not fazed by his present company. 'Is there something I can help you with Sheriff?'

'Well Doc, I actually came here to brainstorm suitable options for my loves birthday, she's gonna 30 shortly and with you two being so close previously I thought we might work somethin' out; however, now I'm completely distracted by Martha Coombs' medical records here, what could you possibly want with them?' Lucas asked curiously.

Matt spun around to see Lucas sat on his desk reading the file, he had been so busy trying to control his temper around the man that he had forgotten to put the file somewhere secure. 'Get off my desk Lucas, that's none of your business'

Lucas closed the file and looked at Matt suspiciously, he had never had any reason to go digging into Selena's past regarding her mother; however, upon review of the file he had spotted an inconsistency in the Reverends story about how Martha had died, which was very interesting at this point. 'Everythin' in this town is my business Harvard, but rest assured the information in that file will remain confidential with me' Lucas said and walked out of the office, leaving Matt seething at himself for not being more careful.

* * *

Gail walked into the kitchen wearing her faded navy blue lounge pants and white vest, then poured herself a glass of the last of the pure orange juice in her refrigerator. Ever since Billy had been kicked out of Selena's place he had been staying on her couch and keeping her up late each night, which had thrown off her sleeping pattern. She had told Caleb to wake her up to take him to school; however, upon checking the note on the refrigerator door M had taken him and gone to the Library.

Gail jumped at the feel of hands on her hips and turned around to see a tired looking Billy, he took the glass of orange juice out of her hand and to her annoyance downed it in one gulp. 'I was drinking that' she said bluntly.

Billy shrugged, 'I'm a growing boy and need it more than you' he said smiling.

Gail sighed and shook her head disapprovingly. 'You're a growing pain in my ass, I'll give you that...so when are you going to make up with Selena?' she asked turning on the kettle to make herself a herbal tea.

'When she stops being a crazy person' Billy said rooting in the cupboards for something to eat.

'Oh come on, we all have issues...give her a break, she's going through a tough time'

'Well it appears you know more about that than I do, care to share these so called issues?' he asked as he sat down at the table and bit into a banana.

Gail rolled her eyes and turned towards him, she was not their Councillor and it was not her place to discuss Selena's daddy issues with him. 'She's your girlfriend, go find out...Do you see me coming to you with any issues relating to Lucas?'

'You don't acknowledge any of his issues, you just ignore them and carry on as usual' Billy said laughing.

Gail shrugged, he wasn't wrong. 'And look at me, I don't have a care in the world when it comes to him...' she said sarcastically, '...In all seriousness, your girlfriend has issues and you knew this going into the relationship. You can't just suddenly decide you don't wanna deal with her crazy when you accepted it months ago, just like I can't now complain about Lucas's lack of morals when I knew who he was when we started'

Billy sighed, 'Do you want your house back?'

'Well I do have 2 children and could do without a third...besides, that couch isn't comfy enough to be a permanent bed for you'

Billy stood up, stretched and slapped Gail playfully on her behind. 'Fine, I'll talk to her...I suppose I better get ready for work'

* * *

Merlyn stood in the corridor of the Trinity Guardian building trying to work up the courage to go to Gail's office, she had spent days in the Library searching through old records and finally believed she had found something; however, she was worried her instincts had led her down the wrong path and it would waste her cousins time. She was torn as to whether it was the right decision to come to Gail's workplace, but she was concerned that Lucas would somehow sense what she was doing if she waited any longer.

'M? What are you doing here?' Gail asked curiously, as she came down the corridor.

Merlyn froze, her options had significantly reduced with the appearance of her cousin and she would just have to face the matter head on. 'I was coming to see you...but if you're busy I can talk to you later' she said turning to leave.

Gail grabbed her arm gently and pulled her towards her office. 'Don't be silly, I've only just come in due to our current new housemate and haven't had a chance to get started yet'

Merlyn watched as Gail waved at some people in the room before entering her office and could have sworn she saw jealousy in their eyes, she supposed that a lot of people had been working here for a long time and the fact that Gail had managed to get her own large office so soon might be a sore subject for them.

Gail sat down at her computer oblivious to the feelings of the people in the large room outside her office and logged in, then turned towards the young girl in front of her. 'OK, what's up?' she asked signalling for her to sit down in the chair in front of her desk.

Merlyn looked at her hands, she did not know where to start and was extremely nervous.

Gail sensed the girls unease so stood up and walked to the front of the desk, then sat down casually on it. 'You seem nervous, but you have no need to be...come on, spit it out' she said smiling reassuringly.

Merlyn forced a smile then looked up at her cousin. 'Don't be mad, but I might've found something'

Gail felt a small knot in her stomach at the words which came out of M's mouth. 'Something?...you're gonna need to elaborate on that before I can decide if I'm mad or not'

Merlyn stood up and paced the room, she decided to put it all out there and deal with whatever reaction Gail had. 'Well I might've snooped a little when we all were at...'

'Stop!...' Gail snapped, sensing what she was going to say and got up to close the office door. '...I can guess where we all were recently, don't say it out loud just continue' she said aware that Lucas had ears everywhere.

Merlyn nodded understanding her cousins caution. 'Right, well I glanced around and found a picture of a boy. The picture was taken at a Bookstore called Henry's where the boy, and possibly his mother, were stood outside of...The bookstore had a large closing down sign in the window, so I've been going to the Library searching through the archive for any record of it and I found it!' she said, not knowing why she felt excited.

Gail stared at the girl in awe, this was something she would not hesitate to have done when she was younger or even now and it amazed her that M had the initiative to do this all on her own. She linked her arm around M's and led her to the couch by the window. 'Tell me you found the year it closed?' Gail asked with a hint of excitement in her voice.

Merlyn smiled, this was the reaction she had been hoping for. 'I did, it was 44 years ago...I'm glad your not mad, I thought you might've told me off for snooping'

Gail stood up from the couch and began pacing, this girl who appeared out of nowhere and was thrust into her life may have actually given her a solid place to start in digging up the information Lucas had clearly tried so hard to hide. 'I would never scold you for following your instincts, believe me when I tell you I've done worse things following mine...So this boy, how old did he look in the picture approximately?'

Merlyn could see how excited and intrigued her cousin was, she was clearly trying to hide it; however, Merlyn could sense the electricity coming off of her. 'He was very small, maybe about 4...did I do good?'

Gail pulled her up and gave her a huge hug, she was not a big fan of affectionate contact with people other than her family and close friends but this girl had somehow gotten her a solid lead that she herself had been unable to do since she had come to Trinity. 'You did so good...' she said smiling. '...I'll tell you what, keep this between us and you can help me dig up a few things going forward if you like? I can take you on as an apprentice research assistant and it will give you a good cover to snoop around as much as you want'

'Seriously?...' Merlyn asked surprised, '...I think I'd really like that. I didn't have chance for much schoolin' when I was younger thought, do you think you could help me with that?'

'Your priorities are spot on...we'll sort out a schedule for some home schooling and for your research but right now you deserve a reward, so I'm gonna take take you shopping' Gail said with a smile and started walking out of her office with M following close behind.

* * *

Selena walked aimlessly across the pier pondering over the last 2 hours, it had just been a normal day in school and she had been teaching her class mathematics when she got an unexpected visit from Lucas.

When her ex lover told her what he knew about her mother she had called him a liar and a snake, her mother did not commit suicide she fell asleep in the bath tub and had accidentally drown. It had been a tragedy for her family and it was just after that time when her father started pulling away from her. She had been distraught with the loss of her mother and the distance it had caused with her father; therefore, she had ran straight into the arms of Lucas Buck where she stayed for many years and her father had disowned her due to her this betrayal.

Lucas had laughed smugly in her face and called her naive, Selena had been with him long enough to have a good intuition of when he was lying and her instincts were screaming at her confront her father. She made excuses to her class and left not long after Lucas had, then drove to her fathers church to confront him with what she had been told. When she found her father she just uttered her mothers name and could see the tortured look on his face, this was all she needed to confirm what Lucas had told her.

Selena could not control herself and screamed at her father for lying to her, the Reverend did not handle the confrontation well and accused Selena of being to blame for her mothers jealousy which led to her slitting her wrists in their bathtub. He went on to label her as cursed and blamed her for their bad luck for laying down with the devil, in the end they both screamed insults at each other for a few minutes then she left in a flood of tears.

Now Selena felt numb, her responsibility to her class had gone completely out of her mind and she was just wandering around aimlessly in the cold trying to find her purpose. When she finally looked up to confirm her location she found she was standing directly over the road from the Sheriff's Station and decided fate had brought her here to see her true love.

Selena entered the Sheriff's Station and ignored Ben's quizzical look as she walked straight through to Lucas's office, when she opened the door she spied her ex lover sat behind his desk reading the Trinity Guardian. 'I suppose your happy with yourself aren't you?' she asked closing the door as she entered.

Lucas continued reading a paragraph then set the newspaper down on his desk, he stood and walked to the front of his desk then perched himself on it. 'I have good reason to be Darlin'...I always suspected something fishy about the circumstances surrounding your mothers death, it's a shame I didn't care enough at the time to look into it' he said signalling for Selena to sit down on the chair in front of him.

'He's blaming me, can you believe that? I was just an innocent girl!' she said feeling herself get upset and trying desperately to hold back her tears.

Lucas shook his head feigning sympathy, Selena's desperation always amused him and he could not help but torture her a little more 'That man always was a bastard...although let's be honest, you never were innocent. Who could blame him for being infatuated with such a beautiful young girl'

Selena looked up at Lucas longingly, she had never felt this low and hated herself right now. Being close to the man who she had given years of her life to made her previous feelings for him return fully and she needed to be with him. Selena knelt down on the floor obediently as he used to like and ran her hands up his legs, then reached for his pants zip with the intention of taking him into her mouth.

Before Lucas had a chance to put an end to his charade he heard the office door open and Ben curse. When he looked up he saw Gail stood staring at him with her arms crossed and he pushed Selena away from him quickly.

'You seriously have got to be kidding me...You son of a bitch, you really have no brain do you?' Gail said angrily and walked out of the office.

Lucas rushed after her, shooting Ben an irritated look on the way past. 'Gail wait, I can explain...'

Gail laughed, 'Save it for your whore...you deserve each other' she spat out bluntly and left the Sheriff's Station pulling Merlyn roughly out the door with her.

Lucas ran his hands through his hair and closed his eyes, in an attempt to stop his twin from bursting out and punishing Ben or Selena. He needed to fix this and quick, otherwise all his hard work over the last few months would have been a waste.

* * *

Gail sped down the main road leading out of the town center with Merlyn in the front passenger seat, she was doing over 80 miles an hour and was had no intention of slowing down. She could not believe what she had just witnessed, she could feel Rosemary clawing to be let out to punish both Lucas and Selena; however, Gail kept her locked away securely until she had time to think.

Merlyn did not know what was going on but was very concerned with how fast they were going, she had never witnessed her cousin so angry before and did not know how to handle her. 'Gail...please slow down' she whispered.

Gail laughed hysterically, after giving himself over to him completely he chose to throw it all away over a simple act she would happily have performed. That could not be right, he was not that stupid so this must be something else. All she could think about was the picture of Selena kneeling in front of him unzipping his pants and Matt telling her that she would see sense at some point, she was so angry and confused she wanted to scream.

Merlyn gripped the inside door handle tight as the Mustangs speed increased to 90 miles an hour, luckily they were on a deserted stretch of road but that would not stop them being hurt if they crashed. Merlyn was scared, the last time she saw her cousin angry she witnessed a dog take chunks out of a mans flesh at her command and she did not appear anywhere near as angry then as she was now. 'Gail please!' Merlyn yelled and began to cry.

Gail shot a quick glance towards the young girl next to her crying and took her foot off the accelerator, this was not like her and she should not give Lucas the satisfaction of reacting this way. 'Sorry' she sighed, then pulled over and put her head in her hands.

Merlyn wiped the tears from her eyes and calmed down when she saw her cousin had come to her senses. She could tell Gail was upset but she did not know why; therefore, she unbuckled herseat belt and put her hand on her cousins back, then hugged her.

Gail accepted the comfort this young girl was giving her and pushed back her tears, she had cried for him once before at his funeral but she would never cry for him again. 'I'm fine, don't worry...' she said forcing a reassuring but felt the anger rising within her, '...Look, I've got something I need to see too before we go home, do you mind?'

'Of course not' M said and sat back in her seat to allow Gail to complete her errand.

* * *

Reverend Coombs had just about recovered from the encounter with his daughter and was tuning out the disapproving voice of his dead wife. He entered his office and jumped when he saw Gail Emory sat casually in his chair holding his bottle of morphine, his wife's voice ceased when she saw her. 'Miss Emory, is there something I can help you with?' he asked cautiously, he did not know why but there was something different about her which caused him unease.

Gail smiled sweetly turning the morphine bottle over in her hands. She had well and truly snapped and allowed Rosemary to come out to play but she was still in control, albeit in a bit of a haze. 'As a man of the cloth you should be more careful with where you store this, you never know who's going to waltz into your office and find it...I suppose with all the confessions of Trinity's bored housewives you need this to dull out the pain'

'What I use that for is none of your business Gail...'

'I'm a Reporter and I report things Reverend, I could make this everyone's business if I desired' she said getting up from the chair and walked towards an unlocked bookcase where she sensed the rest of his stash was hidden.

'Gail I...' the Reverend tried to reason, but his dead wife grabbed him by the arm and secured him in his chair with a supernatural strength.

'You know woman can be fragile Reverend. Your poor wife here just wanted to be loved, I suppose much like your daughter but you failed with both of them didn't you?...I mean how hard is it for a man to act appropriately? First my father chose to use me as his personal ashtray, then my step father thought he could use me like his wife, again pretty much how your feeling's could've escalated for your daughter, then my lover decides to disrespect me with your daughter. I swear I don't know why us woman don't just wipe you all out, our lives would be so much easier...I wonder if given the choice whether your wife would've slit your wrists rather than her own, should we ask her?'

Marge Coombs looked at Gail/ Rosemary and smiled eerily, the Reverends earlier impression of his fallen wife was as a gift from god; however, this was clearly a mistake and it appeared that the ghost was more than willing to assist in this matter. Without saying a word Marge took a syringe that Gail had left on the desk, filled it with morphine and injected it into her husband. The Reverend was frozen and could not move, so she filled the syringe again and injected him a second time.

Gail smiled devilishly, technically she was not doing anything except helping a fellow woman get payback on a man and providing her with the instruments to use. She located 4 more bottles of morphine and placed them on the table before heading out of the office. 'You have a good one Reverend' she called back and hummed to herself as she left.

* * *

Billy sat in the living room watching the new 50 inch television he had bought Gail as a thank you for allowing him to stay with such short notice and for putting up with him. He was beginning to get slightly concerned as it was 5:00pm and no one was home, he had expected at least for Caleb to be back from school; however, there was no one to be found.

He heard the sound of keys turning in the door and stood up to investigate, he smiled when he saw Gail come in with M. 'I was beginning to think you all abandoned me' he laughed, but then noticed the strange look on his friends face.

Gail signaled for M to take her new clothes upstairs then walked past Billy to the living room, despite what she had witnessed in Lucas's office her visit to Selena's father had left her feeling invigorated. 'What the hell is that?' she asked confused, looking at the television.

Billy's concern was taken away by her surprise and he rushed to her side to explain. 'This is from me to you...Gail look at it, it's great! It full HD, it has all the channels you need and if we get pay per view channels we can have fight nights!' he said excitedly.

Gail shook her head in disbelief, he was clearly proud of himself for getting this and his excitement made her smile. 'Where did you even find a TV this big in Trinity?' she asked curiously.

Billy smiled, 'Well I may have skipped work for a little out of town exploration and found a Mall...do you like it?'

Gail felt a sudden affection for him surge through her and took hold of his hand, 'I like you' she said unlike herself and bit her lip suggestively as she pulled him closer to her.

Billy regarded her suspiciously, 'If a TV was all it took to win you over I would've gotten you one sooner' he said sarcastically.

Gail disregarded his sarcasm and pulled him into her bedroom to ensure M did not walk in on them, if Lucas believed it was acceptable to give into his urges then so would she.

Billy did not take his friends behaviour seriously until she started unbuttoning his shirt and running her hand up his chest, she appeared to be taking in his physique and he took a step back when he felt a change within her. 'Gail wait...you told me to patch things up with Selena'

'And you chose to go and get me a present' she said taking a step closer to him.

Billy laughed nervously, 'Wait!...What about Lucas?'

Gail just shrugged then slowly unbuttoned her cardigan to reveal a deep red lacy bra and her perky breasts.

Billy inhaled deeply and felt himself become hard, this was happening way to fast and he was finding it hard to keep up with her unexpected turn in behaviour. 'He's gonna be a problem Gail' he said trying to reason with her again.

'Look he really isn't, now stop fighting this' she said gently pushing him down on the ben and climbing on top of him.

'Did you two break up?' he asked as a last attempt to make his friend come to her senses, his own urges would not allow him to deny her any longer.

'Shhhh' Gail whispered smiling, then leant down to kiss his lips.

Billy savoured her lips on his, he did not know what had happened with Lucas; however, he had coveted her for months now and he was not about deny her when she finally appeared to feel the same way. He grabbed her and turned her over so he could lie next to her, then ran his hands over her stomach tenderly. 'If this is what you want, I wanna take my time' he said then kissed her passionately.

Gail felt a tingling between her legs and pushed his hand down the top of her skirt, 'We can go as slow as you want Doctor' she panted and closed her eyes in anticipation when she felt his hand move lower.

'You move that hand any lower Billy-boy and I will rip it off' Lucas said sternly. He was unusually calm considering he had just caught another men touching his love; however, one false move and Lucas would end him without hesitation.

Gail sighed as Billy quickly took his hands off her and stood up. She was surprised Lucas had not instantly hurt him as soon as he walked in and wondered if was due to her not hurting Selena earlier.

Billy held his hands up in a surrendering gesture, then started buttoning up his shirt. He could see the fury in Lucas's eyes and was not stupid enough to pick a fight at this time. 'Look man, I think you two need to talk about where you stand...I have no intention of being the other man if your relationship is still in place'

Lucas fought hard to keep his twin caged, it would be so easy to release him to deal with this mess; however, from his words Billy appeared to be under the impression that they were over and overreacting was not to right play here. 'Get out Doc and let me talk to my other half'

Gail sat up and laughed, 'Is that what you think I am?'

Billy looked at Gail to make sure she would be alright and left the room when she nodded.

Lucas closed the door after Billy left and turned towards Gail. Part of him wanted to hurt her badly for her quickness in jumping into bed with another man, before hearing his side of the story.

'What side would that be?...' She asked standing up and pulling off her skirt so she could put her lounge wear on, '...You allowed Selena to bow down and start unzipping your pants, that action alone makes it clear to me where we stand and I'm fine with that'

Lucas watched her walk around the room in her deep red lacy underwear, he knew it was wrong to be imagining ripping those panties off with his teeth right now but he was finding it hard to resist. Lucas gave himself a mental shake to bring himself back to the problem at hand. 'Do you really think I'm stupid enough to throw everythin' away over an act you so willingly perform virtually every day? I was just having a bit of fun with that little mouse, kinda like danglin' cheese just in front of the trap...You knew who I was when we got serious Darlin', you can't change it now'

Gail sighed, deep down she knew he would not throw all the progress he had made with her and Caleb away on Selena; however, the situation had stirred up feelings she had buried deep and she was no longer sure this is what she wanted. She had given up her life in Charleston, her job of almost 9 years and for what? She loved her cousin but Lucas had also been a part of that decision and this was the first time she had truly started to doubt the choice she had made.

Lucas could sense the doubts within her so he approached her and placed his hands on her hips, then pulled her towards him and kissed her bare shoulder tenderly. 'What we have is good Gail, don't doubt that' he whispered in her ear.

Gail laughed and shook her head slowly, was she really that easy to sway? A little touch of his hand and a gentle kiss on her shoulder, of course she should be falling all over herself to please him for that. No she would not be so easily controlled, it was time that she started to remember who she was and get some of her independence back. She pulled away from his grasp then pulled on her lounge pants and a vest. 'I need to think Lucas and I can't do that with you smothering me'

Lucas laughed, 'You think I'm gonna leave you alone here with what I've just witnessed? You should be thankful that I think so much of you not to rip your friends head off for his blatant disrespect towards me'

'Aww well, it's a shame you disrespected me first isn't it? Otherwise you could do what you want unchallenged and I wouldn't be able to say a damn thing...' she said walking towards him and standing tall, '...I'll tell you what, we won't say it's over just yet and I'll take a vow of abstinence but so will you'

Lucas shook his head, 'You expect me to take a vow of celbacy after the amount of times we go at it a day Darlin? It's not possible'

'But what we have is good Sheriff...' she said with a hint of venomous sarcasm in her voice, '...if you don't doubt that then this won't be so hard for you now will it?'

Lucas smiled in appreciation of her cunning, using his own words against him was a good move and her intelligence made him admire her more. 'I don't doubt that we're meant to be Darlin' so I'll stick to your rules for now'

'Fine' she said triumphantly.

'Fine' he repeated feigning obedience.

Gail shook her head and left him alone in her bedroom, she needed time to fully consider her options and she could not do that with him around.

-The end-


End file.
